DESPITE reports Daniel Menzel could miss the rest of the season with an ongoing groin injury, Geelong coach Chris Scott says the forward is "just as likely" to return in a couple of weeks.
Menzel hasn't played since round five after reacting badly to an injection for a groin complaint.
"He could [miss the season], and I could win Tattslotto tomorrow night as well. I mean, anything's possible. Is it likely? Not on the feedback I've been given," Scott said on Fox Footy.
"He's pretty positive around the place today, he was pushing his case for [a return] this week. I think he was joking, but he trained pretty well.
"Let me clarify, he wasn't training, but he was moving and running. To put that in context, when he first had this flare-up, he couldn't walk."
Menzel had started the season in style before the injury, kicking 15 goals in his five matches.
"Our medical staff have done a power of work with all sorts of experts in this area, in terms of sportspeople, they can only come up with a handful of people who have had a similar sort of issue, so it is very rare, but that doesn't necessarily correlate with seriousness," Scott said.
"He's missed six weeks, so it's serious enough, but unless there's some information out there I'm not aware of, it's just drawing a very long bow to say he could miss the rest of the season. He could be playing in three weeks, that's just as likely."
Scott also refused to rule out Esava Ratugolea for the season, despite the young key forward/ruck having surgery over the weekend after fracturing his tibia and fibula bones at the top of his ankle.
"There is some good news that it's not the really bad break that we've seen in the past with Michael Voss and Nathan Brown," Scott said.
"Talking to Garry Lyon just before, he did both bones in round 22 when he was 19, didn't have surgery and just had plaster, played round one the next year and didn't have an issue with it. Hopefully that's the case with big 'Sav', but it's hard to be too optimistic at the minute.
"I wouldn't say [he'll miss the season], but I can't confirm he'd be back either, it's just a bit of an unknown. But it's certainly not that clear-cut situation where they miss six or 12 months, or whatever it is."
