The triple Cats premiership hero was ruled out of playing at Simonds Stadium on Saturday when Johnson pulled up sore from training.
Johnson will serve a one-game ban to launch the AFL premiership season following his match review report from his opening NAB duty in Perth when he was cited for striking annoying Fremantle small forward Hayden Ballantyne.
His suspension rules the influential play-maker out of Geelong's season-opening blockbuster with Hawthorn at the MCG on Easter Monday.
Johnson, 29, was originally named to play against the Crows in Geelong when teams were released on Thursday.
Another three-times premiership gun Joel Corey also was a late withdrawal on Friday.
Cats football boss Neil Balme released on Friday that Johnson and Corey would not play and added rookie Ryan Bathie and newcomer Brad Hartman to the official team list.
The Cats are already suffering a mini-big man crisis with rookie Josh Walker leading the ruck and probably against Crows star ruck force Sam Jacobs.
The Ctas have lead big man Trent West, sidelined along with Hamish McIntosh, Dawson Simpson and Nathan Vardy.
Balme revealed that Johnson and Corey had pulled up sore from training.
Other premiership stars Paul Chapman, Andrew Mackie and James Kelly will have their first pre-season hit-outs against the Crows.