As AFL clubs prepare for another week of action, plenty of sides are hoping to have key reinforcements ready for Round 14.
St Kilda are in line for a boost for Thursday night, while Richmond - who have a bye this week - are looking in a better position thanks to the break.
GWS have lost a draftee for the rest of the year, while another injury blow has struck the Bombers.
Here's all the latest injury news as it comes through...
Delayed concussion strikes down Dog, but star forward set for return
The Western Bulldogs will have forward Sam Darcy back from a knee injury this week, should he get through training unscathed.
Darcy has missed the past two months with the setback and is now pressing his case to take on the Saints on Thursday night.
Midfielder Riley Garcia is also listed as a test at the Kennel as he too looks to overcome a knee issue.
Wingman James Harmes will miss this week's match after experiencing delayed concussion symptoms, forcing the Dogs into at least one change for Round 14.
โIn the days after the AFL game, James developed some symptoms that were consistent with someone who has had a low-level concussive episode,โ Dogs sports medicine lead Chris Bell said.
โOur doctors will manage him conservatively as he enters our concussion protocols."
The Dogs have also ruled out Jason Johannisen for another week as he recovers from a recent illness.
Hawks trio in the mix to return
Hawthorn could have all of James Worpel (quad), Nick Watson (illness) and Jack Scrimshaw (ankle) available for this week's trip to Tasmania.
The trio will need to prove their fitness, with Watson and Scrimshaw both looking to return to Sam Mitchell's side.
Worpel was subbed out of last week's win over the Western Bulldogs with a corkie and has avoided any significant setback to place him in selection contention for this week.
Cats offer latest on star recruit, tall a test
Geelong's Bailey Smith is yet to be ruled out of Saturday's match with Essendon after being a late withdrawal over the weekend with a hamstring injury.
Smith didn't face the Suns in Round 13 and will undergo further assessment this week to understand if he's able to suit up at the MCG.
Geelong will have Jack Bowes (hamstring) also in the mix as a midfield option, while forward Shannon Neale is also listed as a test with his fresh ankle injury.
Duo Cameron Guthrie (calf) and Jake Kolodjashnij (back) are listed as 'TBC'.
Season over for GWS youngster
The Giants have confirmed first-year flanker Cody Angove will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his back.
Angove missed last week's clash with Port Adelaide due to the injury, with further assessment revealing a long-term setback for the WA product.
Angive joins Callan Ward (knee) in missing the rest of the season, while veteran Stephen Coniglio is listed as 'TBC' with his glute issue.
GWS are in line to have young gun Finn Callaghan (shoulder) available for Saturday's clash with the Lions, while Toby Greene (glute) and Leek Aleer (ribs) will both need to prove their fitness at training.
Bombers backman still sidelined
Essendon defender Mason Redman is facing more weeks on the sidelines as he continues to deal with a calf injury.
A late withdrawal from Sunday night's affair with Carlton, Redman has suffered a minor calf strain and is set for three weeks on the sidelines.
That is the same timeline for fellow backman Jordan Ridley (hamstring), while all of Kyle Langford (quad), Zach Reid (hamstring) and Saad El-Hawli (hamstring) are listed as four weeks away.
There is no timeline yet on returns for Harrison Jones (ankle) and Nik Cox (concussion)
Triple boost for Lions
All of Oscar McInerney, Brandon Starcevich and Sam Day are in the mix to take on GWS in Brisbane's return to the Gabba on Saturday.
Starcevich could play his first game in a couple of months after his latest concussion scare, while both McInerney and Day have missed recent weeks with soreness and a hamstring issue respectively.
Both Darcy Gardiner and Tom Doedee are also listed as tests as they deal with soreness too.
Keidean Coleman (quad) and Henry Smith (foot) could both return in the next month.
Collingwood defender no certainty for post-bye return
The Magpies have listed premiership backman Brayden Maynard as 1-2 weeks away from returning from his footy injury.
Collingwood remain hopeful Maynard could return fresh off the club's mid-season bye in time for a match against St Kilda the following Saturday.
The Magies are also expected to have Patrick Lipinski back in time for the Round 15 clash with the Saints.
There is currently no timeline for Jordan De Goey's (Achilles) return, while Lachie Schultz (hamstring, 4-5 weeks) and Ash Johnson (leg, 3-4 weeks) could return in the next month.
Power gun cleared to return
Port Adelaide midfielder Jason Horne-Francis has been cleared to return from a hamstring this week against Melbourne.
Horne-Francis has missed the past several weeks due to the ailment, which was sustained in Round 10 against Geelong.
The Power have since confirmed Horne-Francis will return on Sunday in what is a major boost for Ken Hinkley's men.
Port Adelaide could have Lachie Jones (hamstring, 2-3 weeks) and Jack Lukosius (back, 3-4 weeks) back in the next month, while category B rookie recruit Jacob Moss (ankle, 7-9 weeks) remains close to two months away.
Crow's return no closer as defender is cleared
Adelaide veteran Matt Crouch remains at least a month away from a return from his hip issue over a month on from being diagnosed with a 4-6 week setback.
Crouch's timeline remains the same in mid-June, with a return late into the season now likely.
It has been a frustrating issue for Crouch, who is continuing to push for a return.
โMatt Crouch is doing a lot of on-field running, he'll progress through the stages of linear running and change of direction and then get into training,โ he said.
โTimeline on that is around the four-to-six week mark.โ
Meanwhile, defender Nick Murray has been cleared to return from a knee injury, while his borther, Toby, is 5-7 weeks away with an ankle setback.
Oscar Ryan (jaw, 2 weeks), Harry Schoenberg (quad, 2 weeks) and Tyler Welsh (toe, 4-6 weeks) are also in the Crows' casualty ward.
Tigers rookie set for club debut, top 10 picks nearing returns
Richmond is expected to get their first look at first-round draft pick Taj Hotton in the yellow and black as early as next week as the teenager eyes a long-awaited return from an ACL injury.
Hotton was drafted by the Tigers last year after suffering the injury during his draft campaign.
The Sandringham Dragons product is now in line to feature in the VFL next week as he nears a return to action.
"Taj is progressing well," Tigers high-performance manager Ben Serpell said.
"He has increased his training load unrestricted and is completing a good volume of football. With more exposure towards the end of this week and next week, we'd expect to see him return to play in the week of AFL Round 15."
Richmond is also hoping defender Jayden Short will be ready for a return from a calf injury after the club's bye this week. The premiership Tiger is anticipated to be a test ahead of the club's next match against the Western Bulldogs.
Young Tigers duo Sam Lalor and Josh Smillie are at least two weeks away from their returns from hamstring setbacks as they eye spots in Adem Yze's team in the second half of the season.
Fellow draftee Harryv Armstrong (hamstring, 4-6 weeks), Thomson Dow (patella, 4-7 weeks) and Josh Gibcus (knee, 3-6 weeks) are all closing in on returns.
Latest on Saints recruit
St Kilda veteran Jack Macrae looms as a likely addition for Ross Lyon this week to take on his old side, the Western Bulldogs.
Having suffered a punctured lung in Round 10, Macrae has missed the past month of football and has now returned to full training.
Tuesday's main session is a platform for Macrae to prove his fitness, while Liam Stocker is looking to return from a foot injury.
It isn't all positive news for the Saints, with youngster Mattaes Phillipou (calf) ruled out of Thursday's clash.
"[Macrae] will train fully today and will be up for selection," Lyon said. "We haven't made any final calls, but we'll have a good look at it. Stocker will train today, same thing.
"Mattaes Phillipou won't play. His injury is on the minor end, we're hoping to get him up, but he's a bit sore than we would have hoped. The medical team tell me it's not significant and he should get moving.
"He's a bit frustrated because he's had a rough stretch, but once he gets some continuity in his footy, he's a powerful athlete, so we think he'll be pretty good for us for a long time."
North confirm setback for defensive duo
Kangaroos' key defender Charlie Comben will miss 2-3 weeks with a small crack in his shoulder blade discovered in the wake of Sunday's win over West Coast.
Comben was subbed out of the match after copping a knee to his supper back, which left the tall Roo in some pain.
The club has since confirmed he could miss just the fortnight in what is a positive outcome for the in-form key position player.
"The inhibition around his strength and movement is more due to bleeding from the surrounding muscles due to the trauma (of the injury)," North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White said in a club update.
"The main aim is to have that recover (to) enable him to regain his strength and function in the coming weeks."
Meanwhile, fellow defender Josh Goater has faced a setback in his recovery from a quad and hamstring issues. The young Roo is now facing another month on the sidelines at least.
It isn't all bad for North Melbourne, who could have Jackson Archer (hamstring) and Matt Whitlock (suspension) play in the VFL this weekend.
