CARLTON is yet to discover the extent of the damage to star ruckman Matthew Kreuzer’s left knee but coach Brett Ratten isn’t expecting good news regarding the big man’s injury.

Kreuzer left the field 15 minutes into the first quarter of Saturday night’s match after landing awkwardly from a marking contest inside Fremantle’s forward 50.

The Blues lost the match against Freo by eight points, but the 14.12 (96) to 12.15 (87) loss may have far greater ramifications.

Carlton could be without its best ruckman for the rest of the season should scans reveal Kreuzer has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury - something Ratten said was a real possibility.

“We think it’s a [bad] knee,” Ratten said.

“We don’t know exactly yet. I think it’ll be out tomorrow, the doc will go in and see, it’ll be all scanned - the whole lot - so we’ll find out tomorrow but it probably doesn’t look too good.”

Kreuzer had attempted to spoil Freo forward David Mundy when, upon landing, his weight went through his left leg which then appeared to buckle underneath him on the Etihad Stadium surface.

He was then assisted from the field by medical staff and immediately taken into the Carlton rooms before going to hospital for further tests.

Ratten said should scans reveal an ACL tear, he was confident the former no.1 draft pick would bounce back.

“He’s a great kid and for him to have something like this [happen is upsetting],” the Blues coach said.

“If anyone has to go through something like this and come out the other side ... this kid will do it.

“He’s a quality individual and he’s a pleasure to coach. He’s got the right attributes to bounce back very quickly, and I expect him to do it, if it is that severe.”

As for the in-vogue option of LARS surgery - to potentially fast-track Kreuzer’s return to the field - Ratten was unsure.

“We’d have to have a look at the degree of the tear,” he said.

“You let the specialists go through that and have a look, if it is that (an ACL).”

Whatever the outcome of Kreuzer’s injury, the Blues look certain to be minus their best ruckman for at least a few weeks.

Ratten said his club was fortunate that it did have some options.

“We’ve got [Robbie] Warnock and [Shaun] Hampson sitting there, who are in good form, so they’ll get an opportunity,” he said.

“In a perfect world it’d be great to have Matty for the rest of the year, but it’ll give one of those young men [the chance] to really stamp themselves back into the senior team.”