Billy Slater will undergo further medical tests later this year before deciding whether to attempt another NRL pre-season.
The Melbourne fullback managed just one match in 2016 before reinjuring the shoulder which ruled him out for the majority of last year.
Subsequent scans in June showed the 33-year-old was on track to recover from his March operation but he will still need further clearance before attempting a rugby league comeback.
"They will tell him a little bit more about how the shoulder is after the second operation," coach Craig Bellamy told SEN Breakfast on Thursday.
"If he likes what he hears there he will start some pre-season training and see how that goes."
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Slater, who has scored 172 tries in 278 matches, has previously declared he will not make a decision on his future until after the conclusion of next year's pre-season.
While he is desperate to get back on the field, he does not want to risk limited mobility in the joint in later life by carrying a weakened shoulder.
And Bellamy insists that after he receives advice from his medical team, it will be a decision left with the star fullback.
"There won't be any pressure from the club or anyone within the club on what he should do," Bellamy said.
"At the end of the day it's going to be his decision and he's deserved the right to make that decision."
