Collingwood's No.1 ruckman Josh Fraser will miss the next two to three matches after being booked in for surgery to correct a longstanding knee problem.

Fraser was expected to undergo surgery on Thursday on a posterior cruciate ligament that he injured initially while representing Victoria in last year's Hall of Fame tribute match.

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse said the procedure was only minor but the club hoped it would resolve Fraser's issues once and for all.

"It's just nagging so we just need to do something about it - it's nothing major, thank God," said Malthouse.

Fraser missed five matches in the middle of last season because of his PCL complaint which he aggravated two weeks ago in the Magpies' thrilling one-point win over the Western Bulldogs.

"He's one of those pragmatic people, Josh - he sees it, he gets it done and gets back onto it," Malthouse said.

"As much as he's disappointed in missing, he'll just take it on the chin, move forward and get it right."

"He doesn't carry weight, his fitness is generally retained pretty well - we'll get him back pretty quickly."

Malthouse said Fraser's absence would provide back-up ruckman Cameron Wood with a wonderful opportunity to prove himself, and he made a comparison with Peter Moore's eventual succession of Len Thompson as the club's No.1 ruckman back in the 1970s.

"Peter Moore was stuck in the forward pocket in those days and ... he needed that challenge," said Malthouse.

"Cameron Wood, I'm not saying that he's a Brownlow Medalist, but when you have responsibility, sometimes that brings the best out of you and sometimes the worst."

"This is a great test for him, but he has played some very good football against some pretty good opposition this year."