Scott Lucas is in serious doubt for Saturday’s Clash for Cancer against Melbourne at the MCG after leaving the training track after just 30 minutes today.

Knights said there are a number of sore players after a tough few weeks and that Lucas needed to train well today to be selected.

“Scott had some difficulty in the second half (against Collingwood) with a back spasm and also his ankle and knee have been a little bit of an issue for him over the last five or so weeks,” Knights said.

“He hasn’t done a lot of training after the last four weeks so he would have to be really good today for me to put him out there (on Saturday).

“Scott is a very important player to our team and our set ups and we would love him to be out there but, unless he comes through today really well, I wouldn’t have thought I would go with him.”

Knights said he has been giving Lucas lighter training sessions for the past three of four weeks.

“He had a really light session last Wednesday when he did only about 30 minutes. He would have to get though more today and we will make our choice,” Knights said.

“To give him this week (off) will allow his body to refresh, it will give him a week without that body on body competition and he may come up really well for that last part of the season so that certainly is an option we are looking at.”

Knights praised the form of Matthew Lloyd and said, even with Jay Neagle out and Lucas in doubt, the forward line can adapt.

“We don’t have a lot of big forward options in the VFL, to be blunt, so we might become a little smaller in our forward half. We did that for parts of the game against Collingwood last week, we went smaller at times so the boys are not averse to doing that,” he said.

To watch the Knights interview on Bomber.tv click here

Despite having four quality young players return from injury for Bendigo on the weekend Knights said he won’t be rushing any players in.

“(Courtenay) Dempsey won’t play. I would love him to be in the mix but he and (Heath) Hocking and (Darcy) Daniher and (Tom) Hislop only played about 60 minutes. They need 80 minutes this week to possibly put their hand up for selection,” he said.

Knights said the recruitment of West Coast’s Stuart Cormack as Essendon high performance coach is exciting.

“West Coast always present with a very fit, strong outfit,” he said.

“We knew he was coming back (to Victoria) for family reasons so there was an opportunity to move quickly and swiftly and we did that. I am looking forward to working with him, it’s an exciting appointment.”