ST KILDA is almost certain to include defender Steven Baker in its team for Friday night's qualifying final against Geelong at the MCG.

Baker hasn't played since copping a nine-week suspension for four separate offences against Cats forward Steve Johnson in round 13.

But although he reportedly suffered another setback when he dropped a bowling ball on his foot a month ago, Baker has trained strongly in recent days.

"He's more likely than not," coach Ross Lyon said on Tuesday.

"We have to balance up how fit he is with a few other things, but certainly he's a 200-game player, a B&F winner and a very, very good footballer."

The Saints expect rain on Friday night, further strengthening Baker's case for a game where Geelong's small forwards could revel in the conditions.

"They have (Shannon) Byrnes, (Travis) Varcoe, (Gary) Ablett can go forward, and obviously Steve Johnson. When they win, they play exceptionally well, those players," Lyon said.

"[Baker] can go to a number of them, and with the conditions … there's a lot in his favour.

"He's a pretty hard player to keep out of the team, Stevie. He's pretty special to us, and he's an incredibly hard, unrelenting player who gets the job done.

"But (Jarryn) Geary and Luke Miles and (Sam) Gilbert and (Sean) Dempster, they've all been good for us, so it's going to be about balancing those things up."

Lyon said he was not concerned that Baker had not played since his last outing against the Cats in June.

"He's a very fit athlete," he said.

"Players that play 200 games have an incredible amount of conditioning built into their body.

"You saw it with (Geelong forward) Max Rooke last year. Some players have a natural fitness and they're unique athletes and that's why they succeed in an incredibly tough environment.

"[Baker] is one of those beasts."

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