WHILE disappointed that mercurial forward Steve Johnson will once again miss a vital game through suspension, Geelong coach Chris Scott says the 32-year-old's indiscretion will be irrelevant when his playing future is considered.

Johnson was suspended for one match for striking former teammate Allen Christensen and will miss the vital clash at Simonds Stadium against the Sydney Swans.

It has also meant that celebrations for his 250th game have been put on hold.

Scott said he was satisfied there was a level of provocation that caused Johnson to strike Christensen, but he was still frustrated that he was not available for selection.

"He's under no illusions that those sort of actions hurt the team and he needs to find a way to help the team in the next couple of weeks to make up for it," Scott said.

He stopped short of guaranteeing Johnson would be an automatic selection for next week against Hawthorn but said that should not be interpreted as meaning his spot in the team was under pressure.

Scott said the club would resist the temptation to replace Johnson with the similarly gifted Daniel Menzel, who has now played four VFL games on his way back from the latest of four knee reconstructions.

The coach said Menzel's form was good but the 23-year-old was at least a week away from being considered for senior selection, with the match committee using gut feel as much as science to chart a conservative comeback course.

"I have said all along if we make a mistake with Dan we're going to make it by being too conservative," Scott said.

"There is a big part of me and the other coaches when we see him at VFL level that think he is just the player we need, and on form he is playing well enough to come into our team, but it is just not as simple as that." 

Scott said unlucky midfielder George Horlin-Smith and veteran Mathew Stokes were among the options to replace Johnson for skipper Joel Selwood's 200th game. 

Scott said Selwood was held in high regard because he stood up whenever the team needed him most. 

He said it was unbelievable to think the captain was about to play his 200th game as "it feels like it's only the beginning to an extent" and he was likely to play such an important role as the club moved into the next phase of its history. 

Selwood has won three flags, four All Australian selections, three best and fairest awards and will become on Saturday the fourth-fastest player to reach the milestone. 

"He's proud of the past, but he's excited about the future," Scott said. 

"He can lead this club for a long time. I think we all should acknowledge that it's been a pretty good 200 games in the context of the AFL competition and history, but we're more excited about the next 100."

The game will take on extra focus as Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes will return to the ground after missing last week's game because of the effects relentless booing was having on his health.