ESSENDON could have its captain back in time for Friday night's encounter with St Kilda, after Matthew Lloyd was cleared of serious damage to his calf.

Lloyd, 29, missed the Bombers' clash with the Western Bulldogs after pulling up sore from a training session last week.

An MRI scan on Monday has cleared the forward of any major damage to his right calf, with the club claiming it was just a fluid build up that pushed him out of last Friday night's game.

"The results of the scans are very good news, there is no tear and Matthew is a possibility to return to the side on Friday night," team manager David Calthorpe said in a statement released by the club.
"Matthew's calf improved significantly over the weekend and the results of today's scans make us more optimistic that he will play, which would be great news for the club and our fans.
"While he is very important to our side, we won't be taking any risks with him. "We need to wait and see how he pulls up after training during the week, but for now, the signs are good."

The Bombers will also assess Angus Monfries, who was a late withdrawal from Friday night's game with a virus, while Jay Neagle (foot) and Cale Hooker (virus) have been named as available for selection.