Nic Naitanui’s reconstructed left knee appears ready for AFL action, but a thumb injury could keep him out of Sunday’s round-one clash with Sydney in Perth.
Naitanui was firming for an opening-round return against the Swans after making it through a WAFL practice match nine days ago and then a testing match simulation session last Friday.
But it’s understood Naitanui has picked up a recent thumb injury that could potentially rule him out against the Swans.
The club’s medical staff is expected to meet on Monday to decide whether to clear Naitanui for this weekend or not.
Naitanui hasn’t played an AFL fixture since round 22, 2016.
Last week, Eagles coach Adam Simpson was optimistic Naitanui would be able to play in the first AFL fixture at Perth’s new $1.5 billion Optus Stadium.
And when skipper Shannon Hurn fronted the media on Monday, he was also bullish about Naitanui’s chances.
However, it’s unclear whether Hurn knew about Naitanui’s thumb injury at the time.
“He played 60-odd minutes at East Perth the week before, (and then) trained with us and did quite well,” Hurn said.
“So I would assume he’d be definitely in the mix.
“Providing he pulls up fine, without giving a headline, I’d say he’d be playing. It just depends how he goes through this week.”
Hurn said fans needed to temper their expectations when Naitanui does return, given the 2012 All-Australian has missed 19 months of AFL action.
“We’re trying to put the message across that just because he’s playing, it doesn’t mean we’re going to win by 10 goals every game,” Hurn said.
“It’s still a team performance. We want Nic to be able to find his feet, and that will be a balancing act.
“Everyone will be expecting him to be a superstar in his first week back. But it will take a bit of time.
“We’ve seen in previous years players coming off long breaks – especially knees are a year – it just takes you a little bit to get a feel for the game and get your confidence back.”
West Coast copped a 62-point hammering at the hands of Fremantle in their last practice match.
But Hurn is confident the team will be able to rebound for the season proper.
Star forward Josh Kennedy is set to miss the first two rounds while he recovers from ankle surgery.
Jake Waterman is set to earn a debut to fill the gap left by Kennedy, while Liam Ryan and Daniel Venables are also likely to be handed their first AFL starts.