FOUR-TIME All-Australian Jeremy McGovern is firming to play in West Coast's elimination final against Collingwood as his recovery from a hamstring injury runs ahead of schedule.
The star defender is likely to be one of up to six inclusions for the do-or-die clash against the Pies at Optus Stadium next Saturday night.
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McGovern continued to press his case at training on Wednesday morning, less than two weeks after limping from the field with a hamstring initially diagnosed as a three-to-four-week setback.
"When you see that injury, you fear for the worst, when they struggle to walk off the ground," coach Adam Simpson said on Wednesday afternoon.
"Gov's strength has been pretty good from the day he started the recovery… the measures we look at are based around strength.
"He's been able to take it pretty much as a standard hamstring. If he's not right, we won't play him."
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When pressed for a percentage chance, Simpson offered a jovial take: "I reckon he's a 73 per cent chance of playing, is my gut feel. It was probably 70 at the start of the day and I reckon he's grown about three per cent (after training)."
Captain Luke Shuey will return to face the Pies after sustaining a double hamstring blow against Essendon in round 15.
The gun midfielder strained his right hamstring in the third quarter before tearing his left hamstring in the final term on a night Simpson admitted the Eagles "learnt a few lessons" around injury management.
Shuey trained fully on Wednesday and said he would've been cleared to play had the Eagles been playing this weekend.
Forward Jamie Cripps will be available to play after returning to Perth for the birth of his first child after the round 14 loss to Richmond on the Gold Coast.
Jack Redden (fractured thumb) is likely to be fit to play, while Mark Hutchings (hamstring) and Lewis Jetta (calf) are making cases to return from injury.
Dual best and fairest Elliot Yeo, who has been ruled out for the year with a groin injury, could be the only first-choice player on the Eagles' injury list to face the Pies.
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Gun forward Josh Kennedy enjoyed a light session on Wednesday but is expected to be fit to play after suffering an ankle complaint against North Melbourne last week.
