THE BLOCKBUSTERS keep coming for Carlton with a highly anticipated match against Essendon following hot on the heels of last week's top-of-the-table clash against Collingwood, but Brett Ratten's focus remains solely on the four premiership points ahead of Saturday's big game.

There was a time when Ratten was happy to buy into the heated rivalry between the two clubs, but six losses in succession forced the Blues' coach into a rethink that saw Carlton break that streak in emphatic fashion in round 19 of last season.  

"I think what we've identified over the last few years is the four points are there every week and if we change and try and lift emotions above and beyond, it probably doesn't have the best of outcomes," Ratten said from Visy Park on Wednesday.

"If we stick to the process and get that right, then the opportunity to win those four points is there."

Ratten agreed the Blues have a slight advantage before a ball is bounced with eight days to recover from the 28-point loss to the Pies compared to Essendon's six-day break between matches.

"I think it will be interesting to see if we've got more run in the game," he said.

"But when that ball is bounced, I think it will be about our approach at the footy."

Carlton didn't sustain any injuries during last week's game, but Ratten forecast at least two changes to the side to face the Bombers, who are flying high on the back of a 52-point mauling of St Kilda.

The Blues are in the enviable position of having several players working into some good form at VFL level including Paul Bower, Brock McLean, Kane Lucas and Lachie Henderson.

Ideally Ratten would like to see Bower return to the back six after shaking an ankle injury, but said the important defender would not be rushed.

"He'll be close … he's missed about three to four weeks, but he played last week and played pretty well," he said.

"How much is enough to get through an AFL game with limited rotations with the sub rule? We'll take that into consideration."

Essendon, under new coach James Hird, has been the exciting, upstart performer of the season to date and Ratten said his side would need to be right at the top of its game to prevail.

Despite their last-start loss, the Blues will enter the match full of confidence.

"I think the things we concentrated on and then reviewed in meetings have given us a lot of confidence in the game plan," he said of the encouraging performance against the reigning premier.

"It gives us some confidence and self-belief. Some of the players who played in that game got some self-belief in their own ability against some very good players, but we know there's a lot of footy to be played and we know confidence can slip.

"It will be up to the coaches and the group to maintain that."