St Kilda ace Jack Steven is on track to take his place in the all-important Round 1 clash against the Lions.

While the triple best-and-fairest winner trained away from the main group today, the club is confident he will be fit in time for the clash at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

General Manager of Football Simon Lethlean said Steven was recovering well from an ankle injury sustained in the final JLT clash against Melbourne.

Steven limped off after his ankle got caught under Demon Jake Melksham, and sat out the remainder of the match.

“At this stage, he is on track to take his place against the Lions,” Lethlean said.

“He’s done everything right since the injury last Thursday night and is ticking every box at present.”

“We won’t make a final call until next week, and obviously won’t be taking any risk, but we expect him to continue to improve and be fit for Round 1.”

The midfielder maestro has enjoyed a strong summer, overcoming hamstring tendentious that impacted his 2017 campaign.

His inclusion would be a significant boost against the Lions, with David Armitage also pushing to make his long-awaited return from injury.

Armitage missed all but two games of the 2017 season but has shown signs over the pre-season that he can recapture his best this year.