Key forward Riley Thilthorpe has been cleared of a serious knee injury after he finished Saturday’s SANFL game against Central District on the bench.

Thilthorpe reported discomfort in his knee after a contest in the second quarter and took no further part in the game.

Scans have cleared him of structural damage but he will be assessed in coming days to determine his availability for this weekend.

“He’s had an MRI and pleasingly he’s been cleared of any significant structural damage, so we’re going to give him every opportunity to play and he will be a test this week,” Head of Player Health and Performance Rehabilitation Tim Parham said.

Defender Andrew McPherson is edging closer to returning from a hamstring injury and will be tested at training this week.

“Andrew is tracking along really well, he’s been fantastic in rehab and we anticipate he will train fully on Wednesday, he’s doing some really good stuff in the gym and has attacked it so he’s in a good position to return to play,” Parham said.

Midfielder Zac Taylor continues to make progress in his recovery from a broken thumb and is now 1-2 weeks away.

“Being a first-year draftee with his fractured thumb it’s one of those things he could still do a lot of running, so we’ve used it as a window for some athletic development,” Parham said.

“He’s going to start handling balls and doing more football-specific conditioning and we’re hoping he will get into aspects of training next week.”

Captain Rory Sloane is recovering after successful knee surgery and is expected to increase his movement in coming days as he begins his rehabilitation.

“He’s missing being around the boys and at the club but at the moment he’s recuperating on crutches and gradually progressing his movement.”

Injury list as of Tuesday, April 26:

Riley Thilthorpe (knee) test

Andrew McPherson (hamstring) test

Zac Taylor (thumb) 1-2 weeks

Paul Seedsman (concussion) ongoing

Rory Sloane (knee) season