Melbourne veteran Brad Green returns to training after lung injury

MELBOURNE forward Brad Green was back on the training track today after being cleared of major lung damage from a big hit against Carlton.

Green

MELBOURNE forward Brad Green was back on the training track today after being cleared of major lung damage following a huge collision in last week's game against Carlton.

However, the former skipper faces a fitness test ahead of Saturday's Round 10 game against Essendon at the MCG.

Melbourne's elite performance manager David Misson said the Demons would be careful not to rush the 31-year-old back into action before he was ready.

"We sent him off to hospital because he was coughing up some blood," Misson told the club's website.

"All the tests were pretty clear. It's a complicated diagnosis.

"But essentially he just got a really strong knock to the sternum.

"We're thinking it's just a burst blood vessel in the oesophagus.

"He's had a run today and he's felt pretty good but we're going to be pretty cautious."

The winless Demons will also assess the fitness of Clint Bartram (knee) and 2010 All-Australian defender James Frawley (foot) later this week.

Bartram was a late withdrawal from last week's selected side, while Frawley has been put in a moon boot to ease the workload on his foot.

"He (Frawley) has been able to get up and play with it in the last few weeks so we expect he's going to be OK," Misson said.

Backman James Strauss (broken leg) and ruckman Stef Martin (thigh) will also face tests.

Forward Liam Jurrah (ankle) and midfielder Jordan Gysberts (jaw) are both several weeks away from returning.