Rance, who finished sixth in the Tigers' best and fairest last year, is out with a foot injury, and has been replaced by Dylan Grimes, who has managed only 26 senior games for the club in four seasons after being sidelined by serious hamstring injuries and last year a stress fracture of the foot.

King replaces the inexperienced Matt McDonough, who was omitted after playing just his second game against Gold Coast in round one.

It has been a turbulent off-season for King, who was heavily criticised for his public association with family friend and former bikie gang boss Toby Mitchell.

The Tigers have also decided against risking last year's best and fairest winner Daniel Jackson, despite speculation he might be included in the line-up  after the loss to the Suns. Jackson, returning from a hamstring injury, played three quarters of a VFL practice match last weekend.

Carlton has also made two changes, with key defender Simon White and runner Kane Lucas named in the team, replacing the suspended Andrew Walker and defender Andrew McInnes, who has been omitted.

It will be White's first senior game since having his 2013 ended by a serious neck injury. The Blues are still without veteran midfielder Andrew Carrazzo, who has a calf injury, along with dual Brownlow medallist Chris Judd, whose return from an Achilles tendon injury has been postponed until round five.

Carlton coach Mick Malthouse said on Wednesday the Blues were taking a conservative approach with their champion, who had earned the right to come back only when fully fit.

"It's a conservative approach for a player that's played a lot of football, 12 years or thereabouts, and to try to rush him back would be an injustice to his body," he said.

"We just want to get him back, get him back playing good football, get him back injury free and feeling as good about himself as he possibly can. To rush him back is probably all against what I've always thought about a bloke like Chris Judd. We use the word champion too often, but he is a champion. You never deny a champion coming back and playing great sport, whatever sport he's involved in. I have the utmost confidence he'll come back and have an impact."

Malthouse said he had no doubt the Tigers would still be hurting from their 2013 finals exit at the hands of the Blues. ''Will they be cranked up?'' he asked. ''I’m sure they will be, I’m positive they will be.''

But Malthouse also played down the ramifications of a loss by his side should Richmond avenge that finals defeat and record a rare victory over Carlton, which has won 11 of the past 12 clashes between the two clubs.

"You want to win early games,'' he said.  "We tend to get caught up in round one ... but we all know it’s a marathon."