Star midfielder Daniel Wells could be a shock inclusion for North Melbourne's elimination final against Richmond on Sunday, according to Roos coach Brad Scott.



But Scott told reporters on Tuesday that small forward Lindsay Thomas remained in doubt for Sunday's clash after missing the past two weeks with a foot injury.



Wells has not played a senior game since he was substituted out of North's round two win over the Brisbane Lions with an Achilles tendon injury.



The 30-year-old returned in the VFL a month ago and played three consecutive games before sitting out last weekend with a minor calf strain.



After his long lay-off, Wells understandably struggled for match fitness in his three VFL games.



But Scott said Wells could come straight back into North's team against Richmond, possibly as its substitute.



"He had what we described as a one-week calf last week, so we're hoping that he'll train this week and be available for selection and then it will become a match committee selection and not a medical decision," Scott said.



He said if Wells was medically cleared, the chief question for North's selectors would be whether he was fit enough to take into a final.



The Roos coach suggested the match committee would take into account the fact that Wells was "really influential" in North's three finals last year despite returning late in the home and away season after a four-month layoff with a foot injury.



If North decides not to risk Wells this weekend, he won't be able to return in the VFL given the seasons of the Roos' two affiliates, North Ballarat and Werribee, have ended.



Still, it seems the Roos won't give up on the two-time best-and-fairest winner as long as their finals campaign remains alive.



"It's still our intention to try and get him back and he's working really hard with cross-training and running and getting himself match fit," Scott said.



"Now that's difficult to do because he's had a limited number of matches to actually do that. We don't have a VFL game to play him (in this weekend), so we'll have to do that through match simulation on the training track."



Scott said he expected Thomas would pass a fitness test later this week.



"We haven't had our final medical clearance meeting this week yet and we don't have our main session until later in the week, so we'll see how he comes up," he said.



"But we're pretty optimistic."



