COLLINGWOOD midfielder Dane Swan says his side's most recent win has only strengthened the team's belief that it can be a legitimate threat in September.

The Magpies surged into the top four following the 23-point win over the Swans at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night and Swan said the victory might be the launching pad for a genuine tilt at a flag.

"We all know Geelong and St Kilda are the two benchmarks; everyone is a fair way off them," Swan said at Collingwood training on Wednesday.

"But if we get our side up and running and we have a good day we'll give anyone a challenge."

Collingwood, which suffered successive heavy defeats in rounds seven and eight as the club battled injury, has now won four in a row since regaining close to its full complement.

And Swan said that had played a big part in the Pies' form reversal.

"I think from the start of pre-season we've had a really strong belief in our side … if we get everyone playing well and everyone on the park we can definitely challenge to be a part of the top four and I think we've shown that over the past month."

Collingwood's win on Saturday night came despite losing prime mover Scott Pendlebury in the opening minutes of the game and the Swans fighting back to take the lead in the third quarter.

"Even us players put our heads down and thought 'Gee, they could run over us here', but we got a goal on the three-quarter time siren and that really lifted us," Swan said of Saturday's gutsy win.

He admitted that Pendlebury, who could miss up to a month after straining the medial ligament in his left knee on Saturday night, would be "a huge loss" for the Magpies in coming weeks.

However he was optimistic his teammate might only miss one or two matches.

Collingwood faces Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday before games against Essendon, the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn in what shapes as a crunch month for the Magpies' season.

Swan, who expects to receive more attention from opposition sides in Pendlebury's absence, said the Magpies had the depth to cover the left-footer, nominating Leon Davis, Alan Didak, Shane O'Bree and Brad Dick as more than adequate replacements.

"I think we showed on the weekend that Alan can come into the midfield and play just as good as anyone," Swan said.

"Leon's obviously stepped up, and then someone will come up from the reserves and I'm sure they'll play their part as well."

Among the contenders from Collingwood's VFL side pushing for a recall is star Paul Medhurst, who hasn't played senior football since injuring an ankle against North Melbourne in round six.

Swan said Medhurst was certain to play somewhere this week, with the match committee to decide whether the former Fremantle forward spent another week in the VFL or returned to the seniors against his old side.