GIANTS ruckman Shane Mumford has been cleared of any serious injury to his left ankle and is expected to be available for round one against Melbourne at the MCG later this month.

Mumford sat out the second half of Friday night’s NAB Challenge match against Sydney after feeling some discomfort in the left ankle that kept him sidelined for the last 11 games of 2015.

The 29-year-old underwent scans which showed no bone stress, ligament or tendon issues.

GIANTS Head of Athletic Performance David Joyce said: “Shane’s got some impingement nipping some soft tissue at the front of his ankle.

“He sat out the second half on Friday night as a precaution after having such a serious ankle injury last year. 

“We’ll take a conservative approach with Shane but are confident that he’ll be ready for round one, and we’ll monitor him throughout the week to assess whether he’ll play in our third NAB Challenge game next Sunday.”

The GIANTS complete their NAB Challenge series against Brisbane at Metricon Stadium on Sunday, March 13 at 1.10pm EDST.