May on a fast boat to China

thought while Thompson also a chance.

“We were thinking initially with Steven’s injury that it didn’t look great,” Suns coach Rodney Eade said.

“Fortunately the scan’s OK so we are going to treat it symptomatically.

“We were thinking if it was three, he misses next week and we couldn’t take him to China on the back of that.

“We were thinking worse case but we’re pleasantly surprised that Steven will probably get up next week.

“It will be the same with Rory. If he can play next week it will be an added bonus and we can obviously take them to China.”

May has finished his running rehabilitation and will resume full training next week.

One player who won’t be making the trip to Shanghai is midfielder Pearce Hanley, who is battling to bounce back from a bruised heel and could be out of action until Round 10.

Hanley sustained the injury on April 15 while playing for the Gold Coast NEAFL side against Aspley. is

The big-name signing from Brisbane hasn’t played at AFL level since Round 1 after flying back to Ireland to be with his family following the death of his brother Tommy, meaning he will be absent for about half of his first season at the Gold Coast.

“It hasn’t improved much,” Eade said.

“We will take the longer term view and give him some training before he can play so it is probably after the bye that he will be available.”

Eade revealed draftee Ben Ainsworth was yet to run as he faced another month on the sidelines with a badly corked quad.

“We are worried about whether it calcifies which it has started to do so we have had to just take him off legs,” Eade said. “It’s quite a bad one as far as bleeding.

“He hasn’t run yet so when he gets back to be able to run he will need another two or three weeks of training.

“It’s going to be frustrating. It’s a mental challenge for him at the moment.

“We have to work through it and we have to do the right thing by him.”