GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield is playing sore but does not have broken ribs, Cats coach Chris Scott says.   

Despite averaging 27.8 disposals over the past month, Dangerfield's impact on games has not been as pronounced as during his Brownlow Medal-winning season in 2016.   

The star midfielder has spent more time up forward in recent weeks, and opposition teams have been paying him and fellow onballer Joel Selwood plenty of attention during the Cats' three-game losing streak.   

Scott conceded Dangerfield had been slightly limited since a heavy collision with Hawthorn's Jarryd Roughead in the round-four Easter Monday clash at the MCG.   

"It was certainly sore for the rest of that game and he played that one out," Scott said.   

"He's played every week since and he hasn't really missed training.   

"I think while he's a little bit sore in the ribs, it's not something that is even close to making him unavailable."   

Scott said there was a big difference between the rib injury Dangerfield sustained and the one that had kept key defender Lachie Henderson on the sidelines for the past two weeks.   

Henderson copped a knock to the ribs in the warm-up before the round seven game against Gold Coast, leading to him being a late withdrawal for that contest.   

"If you contrast that to Lachie Henderson, for example, who got a knock in the ribs, it reacted really differently and he was unable to play," Scott said.  

"I think those two examples contrast the situation pretty clearly."   

Henderson will return to the Geelong line-up for Friday night's game against the Western Bulldogs at Simonds Stadium.