MITCHELL Pearce is expected to make his return from a calf injury for the struggling Sydney Roosters against Canterbury on Thursday night.

It is the second time this season the former NSW playmaker has been sidelined, after he served an eight-match ban at the start of the NRL season due to his Australia Day indiscretions.

Pearce returned in round nine in the Roosters’ thumping of Newcastle and also played in their defeat to Gold Coast a week later.

His last match was the last time the Tricolours played the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium in round 11 in mid May.

The 27-year-old succumbed to a calf injury in the lead-up to the round-13 win over Wests Tigers in atrocious conditions at Allianz Stadium after the Roosters enjoyed a round-12 bye.

Jackson Hastings has deputised for Pearce since then.

The Roosters enjoyed the bye this round. They went down narrowly to the Warriors in Auckland last week, after their humiliating 46-0 defeat to Melbourne the week prior.

The three-time minor premiers have won only three games all season and, realistically, need to win nine of their last 10 games to qualify for the playoffs.

Boyd Cordner could also return for the Roosters in their round-17 Allianz Stadium fixture with the Dogs, in a sooner-than-expected comeback from a foot injury suffered in State of Origin III.

Meanwhile, Melbourne are likely to lose Nelson Asofa-Solomona for their tough trip to Brisbane next Friday after the barn-storming forward injured his knee in their win over West Tigers.

And the Storm are also no certainty to have injured key playmakers Blake Green and Cameron Munster, who missed their second straight matches with calf and ankle injuries respectively.

Asofa-Solomona has proved to be a weapon for the Storm off the bench, using his hulking 122kg, 200cm frame to steam-roll tiring defence.

He made five runs and 18 tackles before injuring his knee minutes into the second half at AAMI Park, with the Storm unsure of the severity.

There are fears it could leave the 20-year-old sidelined for a number of weeks as Melbourne build into their finals campaign.

“He has hurt his knee, but I’m hearing a few differing opinions as to whether he’s going to be out or not,” coach Craig Bellamy said.

Bellamy added he had thought that Munster and Green would be fit for the Tigers, so wasn’t sure if they would be ready for the trip north.

“They’re probably not as good as we thought, or hoped they would be, and with a five-day turnaround, we’re probably more hopeful than confident, I’d say, but we’d love to have them back.”

Elsewhere, Manly coach Trent Barrett remains hopeful star duo Daly Cherry-Evans and Jamie Lyon will play in Monday’s NRL clash with North Queensland.

The pair trained with the Sea Eagles in Townsville on Sunday and will have their fitness assessed before a final decision on their availability is made.

Cherry-Evans (ankle) and Lyon (hamstring) have been badly missed by the Sea Eagles who have slumped to 14th on the ladder after an six-game losing streak - their worst run since 2004.

“Both will be monitored and we are hoping they will come through. If not, we have some good replacements there ready to go,” Barrett added.

Manly will also welcome back Dylan Walker from his NSW State of Origin duties with Matt Parcell (hamstring), Liam Knight (ankle) ruled out after picking up injuries in last week’s 30-10 loss to Gold Coast while Pita Godinet has been dropped.

Cowboys coach Paul Green says he is weighing up who will fill the void left after Michael Morgan injured his knee in Wednesday’s Origin win for Queensland.

Ray Thompson could make a return from injury to replace Morgan with Rory Kostjasyn the other option.

“Ray’s an option for us, it might be too early, we’ll see how he pulls up from training,” Green said.

The remainder of the Cowboys’ Origin contingent - Johnathan Thurston, James Tamou, Justin O’Neill and Matt Scott - have all been cleared to play.

NRL CASUALTY WARD ROUND 16

* Nelson Asofa-Solomona (ankle)

* Cameron Munster (ankle) - pre-game

* Blake Green (calf) pre-game

* Josh Hodgson and Kurt Baptiste (both concussion) failed tests and didn’t return for the Raiders.

* Eddy Pettybourne (concussion) also failed to return for the Titans.

* Titans young gun Nathan Davis (suspected broken leg) was taken to hospital with a serious leg injury.

* Titans fullback Will Zillman was cleared of a concussion but succumbed to a foot injury pre-game.

* Tom Opacic (foot) had a debut to forget, going off early on not returning.

* Matt Gillett (eye) left the field midway through the second half.

* Josh Morris (groin) - pre-game

* Raymond Faitala-Mariner (knee) - pre-game

* Valentine Holmes (glute) left the field midway through the second half and did not return.

* Sosaia Feki (groin) - pre-game

FULL NRL CASUALTY WARD

Broncos

Andrew McCullough (Broken thumb, Round 17)

Alex Glenn (Shoulder, Round 17)

Jordan Kahu (Pectoral, Round 17)

Tom Opacic (Foot, Indefinite)

Matt Gillett (Eye, Indefinite)

Jack Reed (Shoulder, Round 19)

Bulldogs

Adam Elliott (Hamstring, Round 23)

Tim Browne (Ankle, Round 17)

Raymond Faitala-Mariner (Knee, Indefinite)

Greg Eastwood (Knee, Round 17)

Josh Morris (Groin, Round 17)

Cowboys

Ray Thompson (Knee, Round 18)

Michael Morgan (PCL, Round 20)

Dragons

Dylan Farrell (Back, Indefinite)

Mose Masoe (ACL, Season)

Ben Creagh (Knee, Indefinite)

Eels

Luke Kelly (ACL, Season)

Tim Mannah (Shoulder, Round 17)

Kepeli Tanginoa (Ankle, Round 25)

Mitch Cornish (Knee, Round 20)

Kieran Foran (Shoulder, Season)

Anthony Watmough (Knee, Season)

John Folau (Fractured wrist, Round 21)

Kaysa Pritchard (Shoulder/neck, Indefinite)

Brad Takairangi (Hamstring, Round 18)

Knights

James McManus (Concussion, Season)

Jarrod Mullen (Hamstring, Round 19)

Brock Lamb (Ankle, Round 19)

Will Pearsall (Ankle, Round 17)

Jaelen Feeney (Ankle, Indefinite)

Kade Snowden (Various, Season)

Jake Mamo (Ankle, Indefinite)

Panthers

Dean Whare (ACL, Season)

Te Marie Martin (Shoulder fracture, Season)

Peta Hiku (ACL, Season)

James Fisher-Harris (Broken thumb, Round 18)

Sam McKendry (Suspension, Round 17)

Rabbitohs

Zane Musgrove (Wrist, Indefinite)

Angus Crichton (Groin, Indefinite)

Hymel Hunt (Pectoral, Season)

Michael Oldfield (Hamstring, Round 17)

Samisoni Langi (ACL, Season)

Bryson Goodwin (Fractured arm, Round 21)

George Burgess (Groin, Round 21)

Siosifa Talaki (Ankle, Indefinite)

Paul Carter (Suspension, Round 17)

Raiders

Edrick Lee (Hamstring, Round 17)

Jeff Lima (Hip, Round 20)

Josh Hodgson (Concussion, Round 17)

Kurt Baptiste (Concussion, Round 17)

Roosters

Boyd Cordner (Foot, Round 17)

Isaac Liu (Ankle, Round 17)

Ian Henderson (Broken leg, Indefinite)

Mitchell Pearce (Calf, Round 17)

Sea Eagles

Tim Moltzen (Knee, Season)

Nate Myles (Knee, Round 20)

Daly Cherry Evans (Ankle, Round 16)

Steve Matai (Neck, Season)

Jayden Hodges (ACL, Season)

Jamie Lyon (Hamstring, Round 17)

Matt Parcell (Hamstring, Indefinite)

Liam Knight (Broken ankle, Indefinite)

Brenton Lawrence (Pectoral, Season)

Sharks

Sosaia Feki (Groin, Round 17)

Junior Roqica (Foot, Indefinite)

Valentine Holmes (Glute, Indefinite)

Storm

Billy Slater (Shoulder, Season)

Will Chambers (Fractured foot, Round 19)

Cameron Munster (Ankle, Round 17)

Tim Glasby (Shoulder, Indefinite)

Blake Green (Calf, Round 17)

Tigers

Nathan Milone (Knee, Indefinite)

Curtis Sironen (Foot, Round 17)

Matt Ballin (ACL, Season)

Titans

Kane Elgey (ACL, Season)

Matt Srama (Knee, Season)

Daniel Mortimer (Hamstring, Season)

John Olive (Broken collarbone, Indefinite)

David Mead (PCL, Round 19)

David Shillington (Pectoral, Round 17)

Konrad Hurrell (Calf, Round 19)

Nathan Davis (Suspected broken leg, Indefinite)

Will Zillman (Foot, Indefinite)

Eddy Pettybourne (Concussion, Round 17)

Warriors

Roger Tuivasa Sheck (Knee, Season)

Ben Henry (Knee, Indefinite)

Manu Vatuvei (Hamstring, Round 17)

Sione Lousi (ACL, Season)