RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has confirmed leading man Alex Rance will return from a hamstring injury against Port Adelaide on Sunday.
After missing two intraclub matches and last week's game against the Crows in Mount Gambier, Rance will play his first game in preparation for Round 1 when the Power and Tigers clash in Mount Gambier.
"He would nearly have been available to play last week, but he just needed to get a week's worth of training into him," Hardwick said on Tuesday.
"We've got a certain amount we like to get through with players coming back from a hamstring injury and he was just shy of that.
"He'll be available to play and he'll be a welcome addition."
It seems unlikely the yellow and black will see any other names from its injury list, currently consisting of Bachar Houli (hamstring), Steve Morris (knee), Shaun Hampson (back) and Jack Graham (hamstring), return against the Power.
Houli is more likely to play in the final pre-season game the following week.
Port Adelaide plays Richmond after falling by a point to St Kilda in its opening JLT Community Series game last Thursday.
