Sydney Roosters co-captain Jake Friend is on track to return for the NRL finals despite contracting a post-surgery infection.

The luckless No.9 suffered the setback after having a plate inserted to repair a broken bone in his forearm in July.

However, the hooker is not expected to miss any extra game time, with the second-placed club saying he is still set to return in either round 25 or the first week of the finals.

“He’s a really good healer Friendy. Where most people might take longer, he seems to work really hard and get himself in a position to get back earlier,” Roosters teammate Mitchell Aubusson said.

The 29-year-old Friend has been restricted to just five games in 2019 due to a string of injuries.

He missed 10 weeks – and an expected Queensland State of Origin debut – after suffering a torn bicep on Anzac Day against the Dragons.

Then he was just 10 minutes into his second game back when he broke his forearm where he had a screw inserted to fix his bicep.

In his absence, rookie dummy-half Sam Verills has been sound, with the side winning five in a row with the 20-year-old as their starting No.9.

“(Friend) has played the game for 10 years and probably been leading the way in defence every year, he’s been the top tackler pretty much every year,” Verills said.

“I just came into pre-season trying to learn everything I can off him.”

Asked if he was mentally preparing to play finals football should Friend falter in his recovery, Verills said: “Not really.

“I’m just preparing myself every day for who we’ve got next and it’s Penrith this week.

“I can’t focus (on finals), you never know how many games you’re going to get.”