AFTER serving a seven-match ban, partially carried over from round 20 last season, St Kilda tagger Steven Baker will almost certainly take the field against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.

Baker was banned for serious rough conduct after his deliberate bump on Fremantle's Jeff Farmer left him with a broken nose, lacerated upper lip and concussion.

But while Baker is a virtual certainty, the St Kilda match committee is still to decide on whether key forward Fraser Gehrig will play this weekend. Coach Ross Lyon suggested that while Gehrig would be playing football, "it's where he plays — he'll be playing interstate somewhere, it's whether it's Tasmania or Adelaide".

And yesterday, skipper Nick Riewoldt left the training track early, clutching his right buttock after seemingly feeling tightness in the muscle. The key forward came back to training 15 minutes later but completed only a number of light run-throughs and sidesteps before again leaving the ground for treatment.

A club spokesman played down the injury scare, saying Riewoldt was fine.

Baker's return will be a big boost for the Saints, the former club best-and-fairest and uncompromising tagger a much-respected member of the side.

"He's ready to play, I'm keen to play him. He's a best-and-fairest winner. We lost a backman in (Sam) Gilbert. Again, it's got to go to match committee, I haven't got the sole say but I have got a fair bit of input, so I'm pretty keen to see him play," Lyon said.

"He's a very fit player, he's mentally tough and he's been training all summer. He played all the NAB Cup virtually. His fitness isn't an issue. We respect him and value him. I think he just looks forward and ticks off the sessions and the weeks as they go. You pay the price and you move on. Everyone fundamentally loves playing football. It's his passion and he's clearly missed that."

Gehrig's chance of returning has been boosted by the hamstring injury to Steven King and the fact that Michael Gardiner is still not ready to return from his calf strain. Their absence leaves the Saints light-on for talls despite Lyon's optimism.

"No doubt (King's injury) gives him (Gehrig) an opportunity, but we have match committee (today) with the other coaches … and we'll discuss the balance of the team and where Fraser sits within that," he said. "Young Jarryd Allen kicked six goals at Bendigo on the weekend and took 12 marks … six contested marks, so he'll come into consideration as well.

"They (Brendon Lade and Dean Brogan) are two formidable ruckmen, no doubt about that. But Justin Koschitzke rucks, we've got (Michael) Rix, young Ben McEvoy played really well in the seconds, our first-round draft pick, and Jason Blake can ruck. We don't think there's a shortage of ruckmen here."