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In short:
Nathan Cleary injured his shoulder during the Panthers' 24-22 defeat to the Storm on Thursday night.
The Panthers say Cleary "experienced a recurrence" of the shoulder instability he had earlier this year.
What's next?
Cleary does not require surgery and the Panthers expect him to be available for the finals.
The Penrith Panthers have received positive news with co-captain Nathan Cleary expected to be fit for the upcoming NRL finals after the club confirmed he does not require surgery on his injured left shoulder.
Cleary sustained the injury during the second half of Thursday night's 24-22 loss to the Melbourne Storm at Penrith Stadium.
There were initial fears Cleary would be ruled out of the final series, with the Panthers attempting to win their fourth straight premiership.
But the club gave an update on Cleary's condition late on Friday morning after he had scans, saying he is expected to return this season.
"Scans today confirmed that Nathan experienced a recurrence of the shoulder instability he had earlier in the year," a Panthers statement read.
"The scans indicate that he has avoided immediate surgery. The positive outcome is that the club plans to have Nathan available for the NRL finals."
Loading...It appears Cleary had aggravated an injury that had been troubling him since the preseason.
He has endured an injury-disrupted season already, having spent more than two months on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring tear in round 10.
Navigating a finals series without Cleary would have been a challenge for the Panthers, who would likely have needed to parachute Daine Laurie or Jack Cole into the halves to partner Jarome Luai.
The Panthers are likely to take a cautious approach to Cleary's fitness, given they face three bottom-eight sides to round out the minor premiership and are all but guaranteed a top-four finish.
They will remain second on the ladder at the conclusion of round 24, regardless of other results.
Thursday night's win moves the Storm two wins clear of the Panthers atop the ladder and almost guarantees them the minor premiership with three rounds to play.
AAP/ABC
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