MELBOURNE co-captain Jack Viney will resume training with the main group in early January, after he was given the all clear by his foot specialist.
Viney missed the final two games of the 2017 season with a foot injury, and was in a moon boot for most of the off-season.
The midfielder has been on a modified training program since the Demons' pre-season began, but Melbourne assistant coach Troy Chaplin said Viney was expected to rejoin the main group after the Christmas break.
"He went and saw a specialist early this week and got the all clear," Chaplin told SEN radio.
"[The specialist] is happy with how it's going and how he's tracking.
"He's a competitive little bugger, Jack, he probably wants to do more than he's allowed to, so we've just got to rein him in at times.
"But post-Christmas he'll be fine and in the main group again."
Viney will continue to train "off-legs" for the rest of December.
The 23-year-old has been keeping fit by swimming, boxing and cycling.
