Fremantle coach Ross Lyon says he would love star midfielder Nat Fyfe to play again this season but he will not risk him if he doesn't have to.
Fyfe had surgery on Tuesday to repair the fractured fibula he suffered in Sunday's loss to Carlton.
It is the second time in eight months Fyfe has fractured the fibula in his left leg.
Lyon said there was no plan on Fyfe's return at this stage but the surgery had gone well.
"It was pretty stock standard," Lyon said.
"There was a plate put in. The other fracture had healed perfectly. (This fracture) was just at the end of the plate.
"We haven't got a firm plan mapped out yet. But we'll take a contingency approach.
"I don't think we ever rush anyone back … well, we do, don't we, in the finals.
HBF Injury update: Fyfe surgery
"But we never bring them back underprepared unless we're really desperate.
"But we're not in a desperate situation. He's critical to us. He loves this club. He wants to build this club, so therefore when we get him back we want him to be in the best shape he can possibly be to play great footy that we know he does.
"I'm not in a position to really comment until he gets back (to Perth) and until the doctors and physios map out his plan. For me it would be great if Nathan played but I would never risk Nathan."
Fyfe's first had leg surgery on September 29 last year, the day after he won the Brownlow Medal.
He was back running on December 1, the Fremantle Dockers' first day of pre-season.
But it would be hard to use that time frame to gauge his recovery to this surgery given he was away from the club during the off season in October and November and there was no game for the Fremantle Dockers until the NAB Challenge on February 19.
Lyon was confident that veteran defender Michael Johnson would play again this season after surgery to repair a damaged right hamstring tendon on Tuesday.
"It went well in Melbourne," Lyon said.
Match preview v Adelaide
"I'm waiting for the update. I could half go here with a time frame, but I'd like to firm that up. But we should see him play some football this year. He's really important to us.
"(Johnson's surgery) was just (a tendon) attachment, and my understanding is it was a relatively simple operation that has very good success rates, which is pleasing for us."
Lyon confirmed that skipper David Mundy would return this week to face Adelaide after missing the last three weeks with a calf injury.
Lachie Neale and Hayden Ballantyne jogged laps at training on Wednesday and both will be pushed to get up for trip to Adelaide Oval.
Neale had compression bandages on both his left thigh and lower right calf while Ballantyne is working through a cork.
Ballantyne told Channel Nine on Tuesday night that he should be right to play on Saturday.
