Adelaide will wait and see on Rory Laird and Tom Lynch but Luke Brown unlikely to face Hawthorn

ADELAIDE is sweating on fitness tests to two of its most important players ahead of Saturday’s match against Hawthorn, and doesn’t expect another important defender to make the trip.

ADELAIDE will be sweating on injury tests for both Rory Laird and Tom Lynch ahead of its Saturday night match against Hawthorn at the MCG.

Laird, whom coach Don Pyke has described as the team’s most consistent performer this season, has a fractured hand while Lynch has a side strain.

Both were missing in the loss to Fremantle.

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Fitness coach Matt Hass said the club wouldn’t know whether the pair would be available for selection until the team’s main training session on Thursday.

“`Lairdy’ has taken a little bit longer to settle with his ball-take but we are continuing to build his training loads,” Hass said. “Very similar for ‘Lynchy’, his side strain is settling down.

“He’s trained this morning and again needs to train on Thursday with the main group to be available.”

But Hass indicated defender Luke Brown, who hurt his ankle in the Crows’ loss to Fremantle in Perth, was an unlikely starter.

Rory Laird has been superb this season. Pic: AAP

Vice-captain Rory Sloane is still listed as being one to two weeks away

“Unfortunately for `Browny’, he rolled his ankle in a marking contest late in the fourth quarter,” Hass told the club website. “Obviously he was pretty sore, we had him iced and on crutches.

“We will need to gain some more information over the coming days before we provide a more accurate return to play time frame.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Bryce Gibbs has conceded the Crows are in testing sides after slipping to a 6-6 record and out of the top eight.

“Our backs are against the wall,” Gibbs said. “We’ll probably cop a bit of media attention over the week, no doubt off the back of this performance, but that’s all right.

“We’ll have to review it hard and just move forward to the challenge ahead.

“We get on the MCG next week, which will be great.

“Travel again, a chance to get away as a team, and look to respond next week against the Hawks.”

It will be the first time the Crows play at the MCG since the grand final loss to Richmond last season.

Tom Lynch is touch and go. Picture Sarah Reed

ADELAIDE INJURY LIST:

Luke Brown (ankle) — TBC

Harry Dear (knee) — TBC

Rory Laird (hand) — Test

Tom Lynch (side strain) — Test

Rory Sloane (foot) — 1-2 weeks

Riley Knight (hamstring tendinitis) — 1-2 weeks

Mitch McGovern (ankle) — 6 weeks

Paul Hunter (ankle) — 7 weeks

Brodie Smith (knee) — Indefinite

Brad Crouch (groin) — Indefinite

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