Sydney co-captain Josh Kennedy, speedster Zak Jones, veteran Kieren Jack and young gun Will Hayward are in the mix to return from injury in Friday night’s AFL clash with Hawthorn.

Swans coach John Longmire is likely to have some painful selection headaches following the club’s mid-season bye that came after they toppled reigning premiers West Coast by 45 points, despite having only one fit man on the bench during the second half.

Former skipper Jarrad McVeigh, who will miss several weeks with a minor hamstring strain, is a confirmed omission but defenders Jackson Thurlow and Colin O’Riordan have both recovered from the concussions they suffered in round 12.

Kennedy, who hurt his knee on May 24, is expected to face his former side at the SCG while Jones (hamstring), Jack (hip) and Hayward (calf) could also tackle the Hawks.

“That group did what they had to do on Saturday. They’ll be training again tomorrow,” Longmire told reporters on Monday.

“They’re progressing really well.

“They’re good players for a reason, it’d be good to have them back and add a little bit to our depth.

“But we feel as though we’ve been able to handle some challenges this year – with different players out of the team, especially experienced players – reasonably well.”

Jones and Jack have both been sidelined for a month, while Hayward has missed only one game.

Injuries have been – and continue to be – a constant source of angst for Longmire in 2019.

Harry Cunningham has suffered a setback in his recovery from a torn adductor.

McVeigh, who has played five games this season and only returned from a calf injury in round 11 against Geelong, faces another stint on the sidelines during his 17th season.

“It was a separate injury (unrelated to the previous calf problem),” Longmire said.

“He probably won’t play next week but he won’t be far after that .. it could have been a lot worse.

“While it’s disappointing for him and another soft-tissue setback he’s had this year, it’s not a bad one.

“He’s a pretty resilient character. He gets on with business.”

Longmire wouldn’t be drawn on the future of small defender Nick Smith, who could be forced to retire because of a chronic hamstring injury that requires yet more surgery.

“It’s really disappointing … his season is done,” he said. “When that operation is done, at the appropriate time we’ll sit down and have a chat (about his future).”

The Swans are now 4-8, having suffered competitive losses to premiership contenders Collingwood and Geelong prior to their confidence-boosting win over the Eagles.