Team news and line-ups for Round 21, full squads, ins and outs, Charlie Curnow, Jayden Nguyen, injury list, team changes, selection news

A pair of Carlton stars are reportedly in doubt to play Fremantle this Sunday, while Essendon has made history by naming its 14th (!) debutant of the season.

Meanwhile, the teams are in for Thursday night’s Bulldogs-Giants blockbuster at Marvel Stadium, with the Dogs taking an unchanged side into the bout and GWS confirming three forced changes.

Spearhead forward Charlie Curnow is “expected to sit out” this weekend, while midfielder Adam Cerra is in doubt to play with a knee concern, reports Seven’s Mitch Cleary.

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“Cerra is in doubt, spotted yesterday (Tuesday) with a heavily strapped knee, (and) Curnow pulled up sore from the loss to Hawthorn and failed to join teammates at training yesterday, five days on from that game,” Cleary said on Channel Seven on Wednesday.

The Bombers, meanwhile, have named a record-breaking 14th debutant of the season, Jayden Nguyen confirmed to trot out for the first time at senior level against Sydney on Saturday.

Nguyen, a 19-year-old pacy defender, is a Category B rookie and the first player of Vietnamese descent in VFL/AFL history.

Essendon now holds the AFL-era record — excluding expansion clubs — for debutants in a single season, eclipsing Fitzroy’s 13 back in 1991.

Charlie Curnow is tipped to miss Carlton’s trip to Perth to play the Dockers. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

The Dogs go into Thursday night confidently unchanged, catapulting from a big win over Essendon last Friday, but they face a much tougher opponent in what shapes as a must-win fixture amid a measly 1-8 record against top-eight opponents.

At GWS, while the Giants conquered the Swans in an incredible Sydney Derby swing last Saturday to extend its winning streak, the sour note is three forced outs, headlined by captain Toby Greene’s one-match suspension for striking Isaac Heeney.

Veteran midfielder Josh Kelly and star defender Jack Buckley came away with strained calves and are expected to miss the rest of the home-and-away season rehabilitating, with Leek Aleer, Harvey Thomas and Harry Rowston recalled.

Aleer, an unsigned and in-demand commodity as October approaches, returns to Adam Kingsley’s lineup after being rested for the Swans game.

ROUND 21 TEAMS AND FIXTURE (All times AEST)

WESTERN BULLDOGS v GWS GIANTS

Thursday July 31, 7.30pm at Marvel Stadium

BULLDOGS

B: L.Bramble, J.Busslinger, J.O’Donnell

HB: L.Cleary, R.Lobb, J.Johannisen

C: B.Williams, E.Richards, B.Dale

HF: R.Sanders, A.Naughton, M.Kennedy

F: R.Garcia, S.Darcy, R.West

FOLL: T.English, M.Bontempelli – C, T.Liberatore

I/C: O.Baker, J.Freijah, L.McNeil, C.Poulter, L.Vandermeer

EMG: S.Davidson, C.Hynes, B.Khamis

IN: –

OUT: –

GIANTS

B: C.Idun, S.Taylor, H.Himmelberg

HB: L.Whitfield, L.Aleer, L.Ash

C: X.O’Halloran, S.Coniglio – C, R.Angwin

HF: T.Bedford, A.Cadman, D.Jones

F: J.Stringer, J.Hogan, H.Thomas

FOLL: K.Briggs, F.Callaghan, T.Green

I/C: J.Fonti, J.Riccardi, C.Brown, H.Rowston, T.McMullin

EMG: J.Delana, J.Leake, M.Gruzewski

IN: L.Aleer, H.Thomas, H.Rowston

OUT: J.Buckley (Injured), J.Kelly (Injured), T.Greene (Suspension)

ADELAIDE CROWS v HAWTHORN

Friday August 1, 7.40pm at Adelaide Oval

CROWS