Kayal Iro will line up in Cronulla's preliminary final against Penrith as planned, but fellow centre Jesse Ramien is "up against it" to overcome his own injury in time to play.
Rookie-of-the-year contender Iro was initially reported to have been suffering from a biceps issue but has actually been contending with a wrist problem ahead of Saturday's grand final qualifier.
But the 24-year-old has been cleared to start on the left edge in a boost to a Sharks side that had been facing the possibility of fielding an all-new centre pairing for their biggest game of the year.
"(Iro) is fine," Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
"Kayal has had a slight wrist injury for a number of weeks, but he's good to go."
Ramien must successfully complete Cronulla's final session at Accor Stadium on Friday to have any chance of lining up, but the centre's ankle injury prevented him from training all week.
Ramien missed the qualifying-final loss to Melbourne with the injury suffered a week earlier and while he returned to the field in the semi-final win over North Queensland, he was in a moon boot for part of the week.
"He's up against it," Fitzgibbon said of Ramien's selection chances on Friday morning.
"But I haven't seen him this morning and I haven't had the medical review of yesterday so we'll see where he's at.
"He did a really good job to get ready and play last week so that's the risk you're looking at with the same sort of scenario this week."
By Fitzgibbon's estimation, Siosifa Talakai was the Sharks' best player filling in for Ramien at right centre during the loss to the Storm.
Utility Daniel Atkinson, one of the NRL's breakout players this season, provides another option should Ramien miss out on facing the Panthers.
"We've got Sifa or 'Atko' there," Fitzgibbon said.
"It wasn't a terrific performance from the team (against the Storm), but I thought Sifa was probably our strongest performer that day.
"He's played so long in the centres so he knows what to do and he knows his role."
