West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern is confident he can battle through the pain of his latest thumb injury and see the AFL season out.
McGovern, who missed three matches earlier this season with a fractured right thumb, dislocated the same digit in the club’s two-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
The four-time All-Australian initially feared he had suffered another fracture but scans have cleared him of any serious damage.
McGovern still isn’t sure if he’ll need surgery at the end of the campaign.
But he’s willing to take a calculated risk by playing on, saying he will strap up his thumb to give it as much protection as possible.
“It’s a little bit sore, but I didn’t reaggravate the last injury I had, which was good,” McGovern said.
“It’s just your stock standard pop-your-thumb-out sort of stuff. Initially I was worried about the break before, but it’s all good.
“It does hurt here and there but most players have got a few little niggles, especially with these short turnarounds.
“In my position it does probably get hit a little bit more than most but it’s just a small thing, it’s nothing massive.”
McGovern said there was a possibility of reinjuring his thumb but it’s not something he’s worried about.
“I guess that’s a risk you take with playing with injury,” he said.
“But I won’t be worrying about that.
“If that happens, it happens.
“If you look at it that way (by being worried) going into games, you probably shouldn’t play.”
While the scans on McGovern’s thumb garnered a positive outcome, that wasn’t the case for midfielder Jack Redden, who is expected to miss the rest of the season with his own fractured thumb.
Redden is set to undergo surgery this week.
He joins fellow midfielders Luke Shuey (hamstrings), Elliot Yeo (osteitis pubis), and Mark Hutchings (hamstring) on a growing injury list.
Fifth-placed West Coast will probably need to win their last two games of the regular season to have a chance of snaring a top-four berth.
Ruckman Nic Naitanui and defender Shannon Hurn are poised to return for Thursday night’s clash with St Kilda at the Gabba.