Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn is racing the clock to line up for Saturday's AFL clash with North Melbourne in Hobart.
Gawn rolled his ankle during the third quarter of the Demons' win over Port Adelaide.
The 208cm big man played out the rest of the game but is battling to overcome swelling and soreness, with the team due to fly on Friday to Tasmania.
He will face a fitness test at Thursday's main training session.
"It was quite swollen after the game, but he's pulled up really well and we're being pretty conservative with him early in the week," Demons fitness boss Dave Misson said on Tuesday.
"We expect him to do some work on Thursday and play."
Neville Jetta also sent a scare through the Demons' camp on Tuesday afternoon, with the in-form defender limping from the training track.
Jetta had his ankle assessed by club doctors before returning immediately to club headquarters, but Misson said he would be fine to play on Saturday.
"It was a really innocuous incident - he rolled his ankle on a footy," Misson said.
"He'll train on Thursday and be right to go."
Misson said co-captain Nathan Jones was likely to miss another week as he continues to recover from a quad injury.
The seventh-placed Dees will start strong favourites against 17th-placed North Melbourne, who have lost their past seven games.
But midfielder Dom Tyson said the struggling Roos would be far from easybeats at their Bellerive fortress where they hold a 10-4 record.
North downed ladder leaders Adelaide earlier this year in Hobart and had also dominated Melbourne in recent years, winning their past 16 clashes.
"I know from playing down in Hobart last year, it was really high scoring - there was a really strong wind, so there was a scoring end," Tyson said.
"Whether that changes your tactics on game day ... it probably does a little bit with how you play, whether you have a spare behind the ball against the wind or try and use your numbers around the contest.
"North touched us up earlier this year and they seem to have our measure at the moment but we feel like we're in a good spot and in some decent form, albeit a little inconsistent still."
