West Coast will give superstar defender Jeremy McGovern until the last minute to prove his fitness for Sunday’s clash with Carlton, according to Adam Simpson.

The senior coach told Seven News Perth that the four-time all-Australian was in the mix to line up against the Blues.

However, he also said the Eagles may elect to err on the side of caution and rest the defender for another week considering the awkwardness of McGovern’s injury.

McGovern has missed the club’s past two fixtures after fracturing his thumb during a training session leading in to West Coast’s round eight win over Collingwood.

“It’s a really awkward injury that no one could play with what he’s got,” Simpson said.

“We’ve got to make sure it settles enough to get through not just a game but the rest of the season.

“We’ll keep assessing that. It’s a week-to-week thing and we can test it once during the week, so we’ll wait til Saturday before we test it out and we’ll go from there.”

McGovern said he was optimistic about lining up against the twelfth-placed Blues, but he said the decision ultimately lied in the hands of West Coast’s medicos.

“The thumb is good,” McGovern told 96FM’s Botica’s Bunch program this morning.

“I’m hopeful to play this week. There are no guarantees, but I’m trying.”