NORTH Ballarat Roosters are hopeful of regaining captain Michael Searl on field to face Richmond in Victorian Football League action at Eureka Stadium this weekend.
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Searl will meet with his surgeon on Wednesday with a chance to be cleared to play in his return from a broken little finger.
Selkirk Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald said Searl had been regaining more and more movement in his finger at training each week and could potentially play with a guard, under his surgeon's approval.
Searl has been sidelined since sustaining the break against Frankston in mid-May. He has missed three matches.
Rooster Nathan Horbury is available for selection after he was cleared of rib damage.
Horbury sustained the injury against Casey Scorpions on Saturday, but played out the game strong and was named among the Roosters' best.
The Roosters' key injury concerns are at Arden Street.
North Melbourne-listed midfielder Ben Jacobs had scans on his ankle on Monday after leaving the ground at half-time against Casey.
Defender Max Warren is also in doubt with a badly corked leg.
Meanwhile, Roosters' forward Matt Austin continues to make good progress in his rehabilitation for a shoulder injury.
Austin rejoined match practice at training last week, which FitzGerald said allowed Austin the chance for increased exposure to the full contest and game sense as he worked towards a call-up.
The Roosters have won their past five matches and are set to meet an unpredictable Richmond for the first time since the Tigers rejoined the VFL.
Richmond relaunced into the VFL this season, breaking from VFL partner Coburg, and has won three games, drawn one.
*North Ballarat Roosters' game against Richmond has been pushed back to 2.25pm on Sunday instead of its scheduled 2pm start due to North Ballarat Rebels' curtain raiser at Eureka Stadium.