MELBOURNE is confident Neville Jetta will not have any lasting effects from ongoing concussion issues, despite the lock-down small defender missing more than a month of football.
Jetta is set to return to the Demons' side for Saturday's clash against Port Adelaide at Traeger Park in Alice Springs for the first time since sustaining "minor knocks" against Richmond in round four.
The Demons were initially told to treat Jetta's situation with care, according to coach Paul Roos.
"We were told four weeks ago that they wanted to give him a month off," Roos said in Alice Springs on Friday afternoon.
"When [Jetta] saw the specialist last week he was really positive and said once we get to that four-week period he'd be right to go.
"It's just based on the caution the AFL and the doctors have for concussion.
"We were more than happy to give him that time off. He was pushing last week but he's ready to go. He'll be fit and healthy."
Roos was adamant that Jetta's injury was not career threatening.
"It's more of a management issue when it happens," Roos said.
"Nev hasn't really had any major concussion issues, he's just had minor knocks.
"That's probably the thing the doctors have been really wary of. There's nothing major, but the concern has got to be to the player and his wellbeing. We're really confident that Nev is going to be fine."
Midfielder Jack Viney will also return for the Demons having overcome a fracture in his fibula that has kept him out since the club's loss to Greater Western Sydney in round two.
Roos said Viney was raring to go and the 21-year-old looked in peak condition in a light training session with teammates at the venue on Friday.
"He probably could've played last week but we held him off," Roos said of Viney.
"We'll probably talk about playing him as the sub to start, but he’s ready to play, otherwise he wouldn't be here."
Roos said key forward Chris Dawes, who has been battling an ongoing calf complaint, is still not fit and would most likely miss the club's Queen's Birthday fixture against Collingwood as well.
However, the Demons are likely to be boosted by the return of Dom Tyson for the duel with the Pies.
Tyson has been contending with a niggling medial ligament strain in his knee and Roos said it was not worth the risk to start the former Giants against the Power on Saturday.
"Dom did a semi-fitness test, but when you come off a win (against the Western Bulldogs last Sunday) and you’ve got guys in really good form, you're not trying to push the players," Roos said.
"Once we realised [Tyson's] knee was still a little bit swollen … we put the cue in the rack pretty early (in the week) at training to hopefully make sure he's right for next week."
Melbourne head into Saturday's game after a 38-point win over the Bulldogs, while Port has lost three games in a row to West Coast, the Brisbane Lions and Richmond.
But Roos said the Demons would not treat the Power lightly.
"I think they're an exceptional team, and they've proved that over the last two or three years. We've just got to play really good footy in order to beat them, because their best is top four, as we saw last year," he said.
