GEELONG midfielder Mitch Duncan looks likely to face the Brisbane Lions this week after recovering from a brutal tackle by GWS ruckman Shane Mumford.

Duncan was left shaken by the tackle from ex-Cat Mumford during the Cats' loss to the Giants last Sunday in Canberra, but coach Chris Scott said the 24-year-old had recovered well.

"Mitch is really good, he obviously wasn't good enough to keep going which did speak to a bit of an issue there, but he's recovered really well," Scott said on Wednesday.

Duncan was cleared to have a light training run on Wednesday and will have to pass a concussion test later in the week to be confirmed as available.

The Cats will include Daniel Menzel in the 25-man squad to play the the Lions at Simonds Stadium on Sunday after three VFL practice matches.

Menzel has been in the extended squad for each round so far but has yet to make the final team.

He played in VFL practice matches during the opening fortnight of the season after experiencing a minor calf niggle in the opening NAB Challenge game in late February. 

Scott confirmed the 24-year-old, who has had four knee reconstructions, was close to selection. 

Nakia Cockatoo is also available after he served a two-week suspension and defender Tom Ruggles has been elevated from the rookie list.

It provides selection dilemmas for Scott who took an unchanged line-up into round two for the first time in several seasons but walked away with a loss. 

Scott backed midfielder Steven Motlop, whose usual output has been down in the first two rounds, rather than publicly putting the heat on him.

Motlop has played mainly as a high half-forward in the first two games after being runner-up in last year's best and fairest playing on the wing and through the midfield.

"Steve is well and truly under control," Scott said. "He is going OK."

The coach was once again asked about the free kick differential experienced by Geelong, after the Cats were paid 13 fewer free kicks than Greater Western Sydney on Sunday, with four of their free kicks conceded in the forward 50.

Scott said they had dug deep to find the answers to the ongoing issue – Geelong was the second worst in free kick differential (behind St Kilda) in 2015 – but could not find a clear pattern.

"It would be easier to fix if they were mainly high tackles or they were mainly holding decisions or ruck contests but it is quite evenly spread," he said. 

"We don't want to make a big deal out of it, but we don't want to put our head in the sand either." 

The Cats had the highest positive free kick differential in 2013 and skipper Joel Selwood earns more free kicks than most players in the competition.