JACK Silvagni will return for Carlton this Friday night against Sydney but young key forward Harry McKay has been dropped to the VFL and Levi Casboult will miss again with a fractured rib.

Silvagni last played at AFL level in round six.

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Coach Brendon Bolton confirmed the famous father-son recruit is set to be unleashed in a new midfield/forward role against the Swans.

"He's been building his game through the VFL, so we'll see how he steps up there," Bolton said on Thursday at Melbourne Airport.

"[Playing in the midfield] has just given him the opportunity to touch the ball. You're on the end of plays often as a forward line player.

"Playing midfield, you go and hunt your own ball and you can feel confident touching it … it's not all of sudden now he's a midfielder, he needs to work in both, but it may give him a second position."

McKay failed to take a mark last week in the Blues' 28-point loss to Geelong last Saturday night and kicked just one goal in his six-possession game.

Bolton said returning to the VFL was simply part of his – and the other young Blues' – somewhat fast-tracked journey.

"In a funny way, it's like a young child learning to walk. Occasionally they trip and we go and nurture and cuddle and encourage, and it's important to know that's usually the path," he said.

"I often reflect on my Hawthorn days …when a guy was drafted you usually think I'll see him in the team in a year or two, but that's not the case at Carlton, they get exposure a little bit earlier because we've been on a reset.

"It's really rare in footy now that a young drafted player starts AFL and just stays there and doesn't have some exposure to VFL.

"We've just got to bear in mind with all of those kids, [Jacob] Weitering, McKay … they are in their third year.

"Because we've had such significant list changes they've been exposed to more AFL than is usual early in their career and from time to time, VFL will be part of their growth."

He confirmed that Weitering would play against the Swans as they attempted to disallow the kind of destruction Lance Franklin wreaked on them in round 23 last year.

Franklin kicked 10 goals in the Swans' 81-point win at the SCG, which Bolton put down to a loss in the midfield battle.

"I think the way in which the ball entered the forward line, there wasn't enough pressure on it," he said.

"Bud's arguably the best indigenous player ever to have played so we've got to make sure there's pressure on the ball."

The Blues will appear in their third Friday night game, which is a fixture that has attracted some criticism because of their bottom of the ladder status.

Bolton said they were focusing on the positives of what the prominent scheduling would do for their young players when asked about commentary surrounding their fixture.

"I think be careful using that sort of line - 'embarrassment'," he said.

"What we've looked at is the opportunity it provides for so many of our youngsters on the big stage.

"What great learning opportunities. I know Richmond went through a bit of that in the early days and it pays you back because you learn to play on the stage and that's what it is for most of our group."

Meanwhile, Casboult isn't yet ready to resume after his round seven rib injury.

Bolton said he had been close to facing the Swans but would now return after the Blues' bye next weekend and play against Fremantle on June 16.

Injured captain Marc Murphy will travel with the team and is expected to miss between 3-4 weeks with the recurrence of his foot injury before he is reassessed.