Essendon captain, Matthew Lloyd, could play this Friday night against St Kilda after an MRI scan today cleared him of any major damage in his right calf.

The scans showed Lloyd has a build up of fluid in the calf which caused the soreness that kept him out of last weekend's game.

Team Manager, David Calthorpe, said that Lloyd could play depending on how he trains this week.

“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,” Calthorpe said.

“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.”