COLLINGWOOD is optimistic its star midfielder Scott Pendlebury may miss only one match despite suffering a small crack in one of his leg bones.

Pendlebury's early substitution in the Magpies' match against Gold Coast yesterday was vindicated by scans of the leg.

"He has a small crack to the top of his tibia," Collingwood chief of football Geoff Walsh said today.

"He won't play this week [against Melbourne] obviously. We've got a bye the following week. Our medical staff think that's a great opportunity to be able to re-assess after that.