Essendon is set to welcome back Jake Stringer for Friday night’s 150-year celebration game against Carlton.
Stringer hasn’t played since Round 7 after sustaining a hamstring injury.
Bombers Head of High Performance Sean Murphy confirmed the midfielder-forward is closing in on a return.
“String’s at the back of his rehab now,” Murphy told Essendon’s website.
“He’s ticked off some good sessions over the last few weeks.
“Over the bye, he had a couple of solid sessions so he’s ready to go.
“He’ll train fully at Wednesday’s main training, and he’ll be up for selection this weekend.”
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Essendon vice-captain Andrew McGrath injured his groin in training last weekend, but remains a chance to face the Blues.
“We trained on the weekend and unfortunately Andy’s just tweaked that groin,” Murphy said.
“It’s not too bad, but we’ll use the week to assess how that comes up by main training later in the week and his availability for Friday.
“He’s still a chance at this point.”
Utility Matt Guelfi has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available for selection.
Essendon’s upcoming match against seventh-placed Carlton is the first of three consecutive Friday night games.
The Bombers (2-9) are currently on a three-game losing streak.