Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary suffered an untimely injury at training, just days out from the side's preliminary finals clash with the Storm.
The 25-year-old was rushed to hospital with a finger injury on Monday according to a report from The Daily Telegraph, but has since been cleared of any serious damage.
Cleary has since been named in the No.7 jumper for Penrith on Tuesday afternoon, while the reigning premiers are also set to welcome back five-eighth Jarome Luai for the grand final qualifier.
Melbourne will enter Friday night's encounter with their own headaches, with Jahrome Hughes under an injury cloud and Xavier Coates ruled out of the must-win game at Accor Stadium.
MORE: NRL Prelim Finals confirmed team lists | Sydney Roosters 2023 season review
Will Nathan Cleary play against the Storm?
At this stage, Cleary is expected to play despite suffering a finger injury at training on Monday.
The halfback steered the side to an impressive 32-6 win over the Warriors in the first week of the finals, earning the champions a weekend off heading into the prelim against Melbourne.
Nathan Cleary 2023 NRL stats
| Games | 20 |
| Tries | 6 |
| Try Assists | 18 |
| Linebreak Assists | 17 |
| Offloads | 29 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 125m |
| Avg. Kick Metres | 472m |
| Forced Dropouts | 19 |
| Avg. Tackles | 18 |
| Tackle Efficiency | 89% |
Penrith Panthers NRL prelim final confirmed team list
1. Dylan Edwards
2. Sunia Turuva
3. Izack Tago
4. Stephen Crichton
5. Brian To'o
6. Jarome Luai
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota
9. Mitch Kenny
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. Scott Sorensen
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo
14. Jack Cogger
15. Lindsay Smith
16. Spencer Leniu
17. Luke Garner
Penrith Panthers NRL injury list
| PLAYER | ISSUE | RETURN |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Cleary | Finger | Prelim Final |
| Jarome Luai | Shoulder | Prelim Final |
| Izack Tago | Pectoral | Prelim Final |
| Taylan May | ACL | 2024 |
