Sydney Swans superstar Buddy Franklin is expected to make his AFL return this weekend.

The champion forward has not appeared at senior level since 2019 after battling numerous injuries.

Franklin's start to 2020 was delayed due to calf tightness, however, he returned in the reserves on the weekend and got through the match unscathed.

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And speaking to reporters this morning, Swans coach John Longmire confirmed that Franklin is set to line-up against the Crows on Saturday.

“Lance pulled up fine and we expect him to play this week. It’s good to get him back in the team,” Longmire said.

“He has done a lot of work since August last year, he has done a lot of strength work and he has been training for quite a while now so its great to get him back into the team.”

“He has got himself in pretty good nick quite a few times, and he just hasn’t quite got there so its great to be able to have him back available to play, ready to go.”

“We will train here this week and he will be right to go on Saturday.”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 22: Lance Franklin looks on during a Sydney Swans AFL training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground on May 22, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Longmire said that given Franklin's recent injury history, he will have to be monitored weekly.

"We are confident he has done a fair bit of work but there is nothing like playing."

"As we saw on the weekend across the competition, it’s a quarter up from what they did last year so it’s a pretty solid game style of what is running around from all teams, it’s up and back a lot, so we will work through that.

"What we know, is that he definitely wont play every week.

"We just have to make sure we don’t get into the habit of playing him every week, he recovers, doesn’t train, doesn’t do his strength work that he needs to do that is really important and then plays again on the weekend.

"We have to make sure we keep that work into him during the week, the physio work and training to be able to get him through the season."

Franklin has played just 10 AFL games since the end of 2018 and missed the entire 2020 campaign due to ongoing lower body injuries.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Lance Franklin of the Swans runs with the ball during the round 22 AFL match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Sydney Swans at Spotless Stadium on August 18, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/AFL Media/Getty Images)

He enters the seventh season of a nine-year deal worth around $10 million.

The four-time Coleman medallist has booted 944 career goals and is just 56 majors shy of joining the 1000-goals club which includes only Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry, Jason Dunstall, Doug Wade and Gary Ablett Sr.

The Swans and Crows face off at the SCG on Saturday at 1.4pm (AEDT), with both clubs. coming off huge upset wins in Round 1.