Geelong coach Mark Thompson confirmed on Wednesday that Mooney would return for the round 17 fixture.
"He'll play, I'm pretty confident he'll play," Thompson said.
"I'm expecting him to play well. I just don't want him back, we want him to be playing well because he'd be right up there I'd say in the top five of the best and fairest, up until two weeks ago."
Thompson said Mooney is 'certainly' an X-factor in the Cats' side.
"Mooney just adds that presence around the stoppages and the ability to win the ball. He's quite a mobile ruck-rover type ruckman."
Thompson said he made the call that Mooney wasn't going to be risked against the Swans last weekend, despite the fact that the club doctors declared him fit to play.
"I told him (he wasn't playing) and then I hid behind my office. But then in end on Saturday, he said it was probably a good decision. Players want to play and coaches know best."
Meanwhile, Thompson said that rookie Shannon Byrnes would retain his place in the line-up, while he added that forward David Haynes and midfielder David Spriggs were in the mix to return.
He also said ex-Port Adelaide onballer Paul Koulouriotis, who has not played an AFL game since round 21, 2000, was a serious contender to make his debut for Geelong against Carlton.
"We are tempted. We wouldn't mind. He's played well enough to get a game, we just haven't had the guts to play him really and it's almost been pushed upon us now," Thompson said.
