Carlton coach David Teague has denied co-captain Patrick Cripps is playing with a fractured back.
The Age reported on Thursday that Cripps has required weekly injections to get through games this season.
Teague conceded the star Blue had a sore back at the start of year but says the injury has now healed.
“He's fine,” Teague told reporters on Thursday.
“He's doing all of the training. He'll complete everything in training today. He doesn't have a fractured back. Not at all.
“Everything has healed now and he's fine. He had a sore back, I'm not sure what the actual findings were. But that was reported, he had a sore back earlier in the year. I think he's been completing full training since Round 2 or 3.
“It's not an issue now. You can talk about it if you want, but it's in the past.”
Western Bulldogs champion Bob Murphy thinks Carlton should give Cripps a rest for two reasons.
“For a couple of reasons, I think they should leave him out. For his own health,” Murphy told SEN’s Bob and Andy.
“Get him right, he’s not having that much of an impact, so put him out.
“I think for the psyche of the team and the club, put him out and win without him. If it relies on one player, then the thing is shot.
“You can still use it as a motivational factor for the group. He’s out, here’s your captain, he’s got a broken back, he wants to be out here, but we’re saying, ‘no, it’s up to you, lift’.”
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Melbourne great Garry Lyon wonders if more transparency is required around Cripps’ fitness, citing Lachie Neale’s admission that he was battling a back injury earlier in the season.
“It filled in some blanks so then the discussion around Lachie Neale’s form changed and altered as a result of that,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“Should his manager or someone let it be known that damn straight he is (playing with a back fracture), he’s doing a good job just to get out on the field.
“Then that dialogue and narrative around him would change dramatically.
“Right now, it’s fair game the assessment of Patrick Cripps. If it comes to light that he has been playing with a stress fracture and continues to, it (the narrative) changes.
“As a proud, warrior footballer, I’m sure his mindset would be, ‘I take the field, I’m fair game’.”
Cripps, 26, recorded just four kicks and 11 handballs in Carlton’s loss to the Western Bulldogs last week.
