Co-captain Jy Simpkin will need to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday's game with the Saints, having pulled up sore from Round 7 with quad tightness.

The midfielder spent most of Tuesday's training session in the rehab group.

"Scans show a minor strain on one of the smaller muscles for Jy," North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White told NMFC Media.

"He will look to clear our soft tissue protocols at the end of the week to play."

11:09

Brayden George's luckless run with his body continued last Friday, with the young defender sustaining a dislocated shoulder in the third quarter of the VFL side's clash with Greater Western Sydney in Blacktown.

George was in good spirits, however, and pulled up well. 

White said the signs were good regarding George's strength, stability, and range of motion, albeit with the scans still showing damage around the joint.

"Follow-up reviews with our club doctor and specialist this week will determine our rehab approach moving forward, and we'll provide an update next week once that information has been gathered," White said.

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Ruckman Hamish Free was another casualty from the VFL match-up, going down early with a head knock.

"Hamish will now fall into AFL management protocols but given it’s his second concussion this year, it may lead to a more prolonged return to play," White said.

01:08

Having missed the past 5-6 weeks due to a syndesmosis injury, Cooper Harvey is expected to make his return to the field this weekend.

Harvey's latest appearance came in the VFL season opener against the Northern Bullants on March 23.

"Cooper has passed through all his return-to-play markers and is well set up to make his comeback this week after completing two high-loading football conditioning sessions last week," White said.

02:29

Wil Dawson (AC joint) and Eddie Ford (hip pointer) are also available for selection.

Dawson "ticked off all his strength markers" and made his return to unrestricted, full-contact training, while Ford has presented well this week and will train in full to be available to play.

Key back Kallan Dawson (ankle) has progressed through the recovery phase, managing to clear the bruising and swelling that hampered him during the initial stages of his rehab.

"At this stage, he now has two straight-line running sessions under his belt but is still lacking strength and power on the affected side," White said.

"We envisage it may take 2-3 weeks for him to be able to clear strength/power markers and be able to ramp up agility, speed, and football function in his bid to return to action."

Griffin Logue (knee) is expected to undergo a "significant battery of testing" next week which will provide the club with an indication of his current ability.

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