Click HERE to view the Dean Laidley Open Media Press Conference

NORTH Melbourne will resist the temptation to boost its firepower by recalling Nathan Thompson for its clash with the Brisbane Lions this Saturday night.

The Kangaroo forward is set to have a complete spell from playing this weekend.

Thompson has been out of the senior side for two weeks, playing one match in the VFL after struggling with form.

Coach Dean Laidley maintains Thompson is no longer carrying an injury and could return to the senior side next weekend.

"He's just lost a lot of strength in his legs, because backing up week after week coming off a knee, he has not been able to put the strength work into his legs," Laidley said, at Arden Street on Wednesday.

"Progressively over the season, he's lost that spark to get off his opponents. For the last three weeks, we've put him through a strengthening program, and we'd like to think that by early next week, he's right to go.

"With the week we've put into him this week, we think he'd be better off getting more of that work and just doing some cross-training. His touch is still good and his fitness is still very good, but it's the strength in his legs that we're after.

"He's going really well. We expect he'll play against the Bulldogs the following week."

Laidley said forgotten midfielder Jess Sinclair, who has played just one senior game and eight for VFL side Werribee this season, is "pretty close" to gaining a recall after being named as an emergency last weekend.

The 29-year-old's year was derailed back in the pre-season, when he tore ligaments in his right thumb and had to undergo surgery.

The Roos' coach also said forward Aaron Edwards, who has been missing since breaking his leg in round six, and ruckman Hamish McIntosh, who has been battling a knee injury since round 12, are both looking at VFL returns in the coming weeks.

However, young defender Jesse Smith is not expected to be available for at least the remainder of the home-and-away season having encountered persistent hamstring problems this year.

"McIntosh will resume in the VFL in probably two weeks, and Aaron next week," Laidley said.

"Then we have to assess how they pull up, how many games we think they need, how's their conditioning.