Shaun Johnson has been named to return to the NZ Warriors line-up for their sudden death finals clash with Newcastle Knights on Saturday, but there's still lingering uncertainty over whether the talismanic halfback will be fit enough to take the field.
Johnson was scratched from last weekend's clash with Penrith Panthers due to a calf issue sustained during training.
The club immediately stated he would be available for the team's next match, which comes against the Knights at Go Media Stadium, where the winners will advance to face Brisbane Broncos in the preliminary final and the losers' season will be over.
On Tuesday, Johnson was named in his traditional No. 7 spot but isn't a lock to play against the Novacastrians in front of a sold-out Mt Smart.
Newshub understands Johnson - who has been directly involved in more than a third of the Warriors' tries this season - still has some targets to reach in his recovery before his availability for Saturday can be confirmed.
He'll undergo a final assessment on Friday, when a decision will be made on his status for the match.
An update released by the Warriors on Wednesday has announced Johnson will be held out of Thursday's training session to allow his calf as much time to heal as possible.
"Shaun has progressed well this week undergoing various training scenarios," the Warriors stated. "He trained well this morning [Wednesday] by himself.
"Tomorrow [Thursday] Shaun will not train with the team to enable him to have the best preparation for game day on Saturday."
The team's stand-out and most important player this season, Johnson was sorely missed in the one-sided hammering by the Panthers and his absence would be a huge blow to the Warriors' fortunes.
With Dylan Walker slotting alongside Te Maire Martin in a makeshift halves tandem, the team struggled in their fifth tackle options and tactical kicking - two areas where Johnson has an enormous influence.
Newshub cameras captured Johnson walking freely without a bandage on his calf as he left the club's headquarters on Tuesday, replying "time will tell" when asked if he'll be fit to play.
