Sydney Swans defenders Nick Smith and Lewis Roberts-Thomson have both returned to training after missing the last two matches.
Club physiotherapist Matt Cameron said both Smith (inner ear infection) and Roberts-Thomson (cheekbone) will be tested at training at the end of the week and a decision will made based on how they pull-up from training.
“Nick is back training with the group and has been training since late last week,” Cameron told SwansTV.
“He’s been pulling up well from training and if he continues to complete the week through to Friday and pulls up well, we’ll make a decision then on his eligibility this week to play.
“(Roberts-Thomson) is back training with the team and it will just depend on how his cheekbone feels towards the end of the week.”
Injured Swan Gary Rohan could be out of hospital as early as next week, following surgery for a compound fracture of his right tibia which he suffered in Sunday’s match against North Melbourne.
Cameron said Rohan’s surgery was successful, but the 20-year-old will spend the next two months on crutches.
“The surgery went well and he should be out of hospital next week and then he starts his rehab process with us, which will be a fairly lengthy one for the rest of the year,” he said.
“They needed to put a rod down the shaft of his leg bone and a couple of screws, and that holds the fracture all in place, and now Mother Nature takes care of all the healing of the fracture from now on.
“He’s going to be on crutches for eight weeks non weight-bearing, and then we’ll start him taking weight through his leg and he’s underway from then.”
Cameron added that Rohan remained positive about his injury.
“He seems in good spirits, so he’s making the most of a bad situation and perhaps the darker times are ahead but we’ll push ahead and be positive all the way,” he said.
Cameron also said Swans ruckman Shane Mumford is responding well to treatment following the discovery of an infection in one of the joints in his back.
“We were able to find the source of that pain which was some infection brewing close down to a joint in his back, which is probably due to an injection a couple of weeks before then,” he said.
“He’s been on antibiotics and things look like they’re under control.”
Cameron said Mumford’s condition will be evaluated this week, and added that he is hopeful the ruckman will train later this week.
“He’ll be assessed again later this week with a scan and depending on that result we’ll be able to determine whether he is able to train and then prepare to play,” he said.
Cameron added that Matt Spangher, Tom Mitchell and Alex Brown, all who have been on the long term injury list, will return to training this week.
“They’ll be gradually building their training time over this week and next week, and we’ll determine when each of those three guys starts playing, depending on how they tolerate training,” he said.
