Essendon have confirmed that gun defender Andrew McGrath is available for selection this week after missing the past two weeks due to an adductor injury.
The deputy vice captain's return will give the Bombers' a major boost going into Sunday afternoon's clash against the Lions in Brisbane.
Head of high performance Sean Murphy told essendonfc.com.au that the 24-year-old has put his hand for selection this weekend and is ready to go.
"Andy's going really well. He ticked off a really important session on the weekend and he's at the end stage of his rehab now," he said.
"He'll train fully across this week and we expect him to be available this weekend."
However, young forward Archie Perkins will remain on the sidelines as he recovers from a calf strain which caused him to miss Essendon's win over the Swans.
Murphy said the club are being cautious around Perkins' injury as they determine a timeframe for his recovery.
"Perko's' got a low-end calf strain at the moment," he said.
"Unfortunately, there was a little bit of tightness out of main training, and it's shown up as a low-end calf strain.
"He'll miss this week and we'll see how he shape sup over the next week or two."
Big man James Stewart is aiming for a VFL return next week as he recovers from a foot injury.
While key position duo Kaine Baldwin and Aaron Francis will enter a rehabilitation block as they recover from calf and hamstring injuries respectively.
The Bombers' will be hoping to back up their upset win over the Swans with another one of the Lions at the Gabba on Sunday afternoon at 1:10 pm AEST.
