Richmond remains hopeful that Tom Lynch can return from a broken foot in the latter parts of this season but will not take any risks with the star forward.

The Club has been careful with Lynch’s recovery since he sustained the injury in the Round 4 game against the Western Bulldogs.

Richmond High-Performance Manager Luke Meehan provided further clarity on Lynch’s progress.

“The bone healing process takes time, and we want to be absolutely certain that it is right before we step up Tom’s training load,” Meehan said.

“While we remain hopeful that we can get him back at some stage later in the season, it is still difficult to put an exact timeframe on right now.

“Tom will have another scan on the fracture in a couple of weeks, giving us a much clearer picture.”

Meehan added that the Club would not risk further injury by making short-term decisions.

“He is clearly a significant player and someone with a lot of football ahead of him, so his long-term health is our priority,” Meehan added.

“Any long-term injury is frustrating, but Tom is a pro and attacking his rehab really hard, providing leadership around the group and direction for younger forwards.”

Lynch has been a durable player for the Tigers since crossing from Gold Coast ahead of the 2019 season, featuring in 85 matches and booting 192 goals.