North Melbourne midfielder Ben Cunnington is in the Roos' selection mix for Round 21, with the veteran ball-magnet needing to get through one last training session before the weekend.
In what would be Cunnington's first game in over a year, the 31-year-old is a chance to return to the AFL stage following his recovery from testicular cancer.
The Kangaroos revealed in July last year that their two-time best and fairest winner was required to undergo surgery on a testicular tumour, sidelining Cunnington for an indefinite period.
After missing the end of the 2021 season, Cunnington faced another setback after the emergence of a second tumour, with the Cobden native requiring chemotherapy to aid his battle with cancer.
Cunnington was named as a member of North Melbourne's leadership group for 2022 despite his long recuperation journey, which has recently reached its conclusion.
The hard-nosed onballer was in the frame to make his return last weekend, before a bout of COVID delayed his chances of a Round 20 comeback.
Having since exited the AFL's health and safety protocols, Cunnington will be a chance to pull on the blue and white stripes for the first time since Round 19 last year against Carlton.
The club confirmed on Tuesday that Cunnington will need to prove his fitness at Thursday's main session to be confirmed as an inclusion for Sunday's clash with Sydney.
"Ben had a strong footy conditioning and strength session on Sunday, and will fall into the main group training this week," Kangaroos head of performance Kevin White told North Media.
"He'll be available to play if he clears training Thursday."
Cunnington was among six Kangaroos that were sidelined due to COVID, with Paul Curtis and Aaron Hall also in the mix to face the Swans after exiting protocols.
Duo Lachie Young and Jack Mahony remain in isolation, and are no guarantee to be available for this weekend.
Meanwhile, rookie Jackson Archer is in some doubt after suffering a hip complaint in Sunday's loss to Essendon.
The Kangaroos will host Sydney at Marvel Stadium at 1:10pm (AEST) Sunday, before concluding their 2022 season with matches against the Crows and Suns.
