Motlop has been experiencing the same patella tendonitis problem he carried through the 2013 season throughout this preseason.
The Cats are unsure as yet whether the injury will require surgery but are confident Motlop will not spend a significant amount of the early part of the season on the sidelines.
General manager of football, Neil Balme, said the Cats will remain cautious with the young star.
"The injury is something Steven has managed through the 2013 season and unfortunately it is still causing him some problems." Balme said.
"His workload has been managed so far but we aren't seeing the results from this we had hoped."
"We are unsure yet whether taking the surgical option is the best course of action but a decision will be made on that in due course."
"We don't imagine if we went with the surgery option it would cause him to miss a significant part of the start of the season as it would be fairly minor."
Motlop exploded on the AFL scene in 2013 becoming a crucial part of the Cats line-up.
