NORTH Melbourne will receive some much-needed good news on the fitness front this weekend, with Aidan Corr expected to return from illness for the side's clash with an in-form Fremantle.

Corr had initially been mistakenly listed as a late withdrawal from last week's loss to Carlton under the AFL's health and safety protocols, but was actually suffering from a non-COVID related illness.

It means he will be able to travel to Western Australia for Friday night's clash with the Dockers, where the Kangaroos will be looking to respond from a fifth-straight defeat over the weekend.

Had Corr been in the League's health and safety protocols, the seven-day isolation period would have forced him to miss a second straight match due to the side's tight six-day turnaround between games.

Debutant Miller Bergman was Corr's replacement at Marvel Stadium last weekend, but hurt his shoulder in the first half and was substituted out of the game in place of Atu Bosenavulagi.

Fellow key defender Ben McKay will also return alongside Corr to bolster the Kangaroos' beleaguered backline, having missed the defeat to the Blues after picking up a one-match suspension.

However, coach David Noble will still have headaches in attack after the side's leading goalkicker Nick Larkey copped a one-game ban for tunnelling Carlton defender Lewis Young in an ugly incident late in the third quarter.

The Roos confirmed on Monday morning they have accepted Larkey's suspension. 

Athletic young forward Charlie Comben had been closing on a return to the senior team and would have been Larkey's likely replacement, but missed a VFL clash with the Blues on Saturday afternoon due to knee soreness.

He will face a fitness test later this week to determine whether he travels to Optus Stadium, with midfielder Tarryn Thomas also in doubt after having scans to assess the extent of a hamstring injury on Sunday.

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Experienced onballer Jed Anderson could finally return to the senior side after playing two VFL games in the last three weeks, but youngsters Will Phillips and Tom Powell will likely get a consistent run of reserves football before being considered for selection.