Melbourne will welcome the return of superstar midfielder Clayton Oliver for Saturday night's clash with fellow 2021 grand finalists the Western Bulldogs.
Oliver missed his side's Round 18 victory over Port Adelaide after suffering a fractured thumb against Geelong the week prior, with the three-time best and fairest winner requiring pins and plates to be placed in his hand through surgery.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Goodwin confirmed Oliver will make his return from the ailment following a professional approach to the setback.
“We’re really confident that with the plates and pins put in that will stand up for the rest of the season,” Goodwin said, via News Corp.
“He wanted to get the surgery as quickly as possible. In the end I think the freshen up for him last week is going to do him well.
“He’s done an incredible job to get himself right. He’s been in my office a fair bit the last four or five days telling me he’s ready to go.”
While Oliver will be a key inclusion for the Demons, Goodwin will be sweating on the fitness of star defender Jake Lever, who suffered a shoulder injury in last Sunday's win.
Lever will hold a key role in defence when Melbourne line up against a Bulldogs attack that will likely see trio Aaron Naughton, Josh Bruce and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan link up for the first time this year.
While Lever is still needing to prove his fitness for the weekend ahead, Goodwin remains confident the premiership backman will pull on the boots Saturday night.
The Demons are expected to welcome back lockdown defender Harrison Petty after his stint in COVID protocols, while forward Ben Brown has been kept to light duties this week with a knee issue, however is tipped to play.
“He’s got some ongoing management of his knee he’s going to have for the rest of his career. We knew that when we brought Ben to our footy club,” Goodwin said.
“He’s going to have a quieter week on the training track … we have a six-day turnaround, that’s normal.”
Melbourne will head to Marvel Stadium to clash with the Bulldogs on Saturday, with the match to commence at 7:25pm (AEST).
