The Adelaide Crows remain hopeful leaders Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane will play in Sunday's AFL season-opener against Greater Western Sydney.
Captain Walker is battling a hamstring strain while vice-captain Sloane missed the three pre-season games because of a fractured eye socket.
"We're extremely hopeful at the moment that they will both be right," Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs told reporters on Monday.
"Sloaney has really started to step up his training the last couple of weeks so we're pretty confident that he should be able to get up.
"And also Tex will be a wait and see ... he's doing everything right, he has been out on the track and making sure that he's looking after it off-field so at the moment we're pretty hopeful for both of them."
Walker suffered tightness in his left hamstring during Adelaide's last pre-season game, a win against Brisbane, while Sloane was injured in a training mishap in early February.
The Crows have already ruled out midfielders Scott Thompson (shoulder) and Brad Crouch (hamstring) from playing in their home clash against the Giants.
Defender Jake Lever (hamstring) is also an unlikely starter after also missing the entire pre-season series, as did Thompson and Crouch.
Jacobs said Sunday's fixture against the premiership favourite Giants would be a welcome test for the Crows, who were beaten semi-finalists last year.
"They're obviously a really well-balanced team, they have got real depth in all of their lines," he said of GWS.
"It's going to be a great challenge for us and one we look forward to this week.
"I think we have made some really big gains through our midfield and the stuff we have been working on in the off-season so ... so we're looking forward to having a great start."
