Coach Chris Scott is confident that Geelong ruckman Rhys Stanley will be available to face Richmond on Friday night.

Stanley was a late withdrawal from Geelong’s round 11 win over Sydney with an adductor injury.

“We are really confident that it is just a week,” Scott said speaking at the club’s press conference on Tuesday.

“They’re very confident down in our medical department it’s a slightly different issue, but very minor again - so, we think he’ll be available.”

Despite external reports sighting a recurrence of the same injury two weeks prior, Scott said that was not the case.

“It was a small muscle in the adductor initially, and this is more an adductor longus – the main muscle in that area.

“But both very, very minor, and both acute. It’s something we don’t think we’ll come up again once he recovers from this issue.”

Irish rookie Stefan Okunbor is also ‘making good progress’ towards a return.

“Stefan is very much a long-term player for us and while we could push him back and play him now, there are just other priorities in his preparation beyond getting up for a VFL game.”

In other good news for the club, Scott Selwood got through his fifth consecutive VFL match unscathed.

The 29-year-old has been a strong contributor in each of those games, but Cats’ fans will need to wait a few more weeks before they can expect to see him contend for a place in the senior team.

“He is a little way off AFL selection because we just want to make sure that his body can stand up, particularly given his hamstring issues,” Scott said.

The Cats are also taking a cautious approach with Quinton Narkle.

“We are told it is a minor hamstring issue but that one is a recurrence, so there will be a little more caution there.”

Scott is also ‘optimistic’ that a host of Cats will return shortly after the bye round.

That includes Lachie Henderson and Sam Menegola, while Jordan Cunico is expected to return five to six weeks after the break.

Finally, Nakia Cockatoo is progressing well and may be in the frame to return in the later rounds.

“Post-bye he will ramp it up a little bit and we are looking forward to seeing some football from him around the round 16, 17 period.”

Geelong will travel to the MCG to play Richmond on Friday night at 7.50pm.