Parramatta coach Brad Arthur is hopeful neither a shoulder injury nor a continuation of treatment for personal issues will prevent star halfback Kieran Foran from taking his place in the side for next Monday's trip to Newcastle.
Foran will head back to Queensland for further assessment but if his shoulder is up to it Arthur expects him to feature for the Eels again in seven days time.
The Kiwi Test regular made his first appearance in blue and gold in four weeks in his team's 18-6 loss to Melbourne on Monday night and had some great touches along with some rustiness, but the major concern was a first-half shoulder injury that required pain-killing injections for him to get through the game.
The former Sea Eagle was responsible for setting up his team's only points of the game via a deft grubber kick for Michael Jennings – albeit in the 79th minute with the result already gone – but he also produced a number of pinpoint cross-field kicks, any number of which could have led to tries were it not for the Storm's impregnable efforts on their own goal line.
There were also a couple of wayward passes and one ill-advised grubber that proved he may need another couple of weeks to get back to his peak form.
Foran's highlight was a searing half-break down the right edge that almost laid the platform for a try to Brad Takairangi later in the set but it was that play on which he got up carrying a shoulder complaint that required attention and almost forced him from the field.
"He made a bit of a half break down that right edge in the first half and landed awkward. Had to get needled up and carried it through the game but we're hopeful that he'll be ok," Arthur said of Foran after the game.
"They targeted him and got some play the balls through him and went down that edge a little bit but he didn't want to come off. We needed him out there so he just had to tough it out.
"He plays nice and tough; he put on some good plays."
Of Foran's ongoing assessment for mental health issues, Arthur said he would leave the squad for a few days now before returning later in the week.
"He'll go back for a couple of days and they'll reassess him and see how he coped this week and make a decision from there but as long as his shoulder's okay he'll be back ready to play this week," Arthur added.
Eels forward Danny Wicks also welcomed the return of Foran to the playing group.
"It's great to have Foz back out there. He's a competitor and everyone loves playing with him," Wicks said.
