BROWNLOW Medal contender Shaun Higgins is set to return for North Melbourne on Sunday, just a week after minor knee surgery.

Higgins, 30, underwent a right knee arthroscope at the start of last week after playing his 200th match in the 40-point victory over West Coast in Hobart.

Kangaroos football boss Cameron Joyce revealed on Monday the reigning club champion had fully recovered and would almost certainly face the Western Bulldogs.

"Higgo was pushing for us to play him in Brisbane, such is the professional he is and the dedication to his rehabilitation he's shown," Joyce said.

"He's recovered from the procedure really well.

"We were always confident he was only going to miss the one game, so provided he gets through the rest of the week, he'll be declared fit to play."

Ex-Hawk Billy Hartung is also ready to resume after missing six matches with a left hamstring injury.

Hartung, 23, will return through the VFL against the Bulldogs' VFL team Footscray at Avalon Airport Oval on Sunday.

There is no update on Ben Jacobs (concussion) after missing six of the past seven games, but he is training again.

Taylor Garner (hamstring) and Alex Morgan (calf) could also play this weekend.

Second-year defender Declan Watson won't play again this season as he continues his recovery from a right ACL rupture suffered at training in July last year.