Brisbane defender Matt Maguire is set for a surprise return from an elbow injury when the Lions host St Kilda at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Former Saint Maguire, 28, has spent two weeks on the sidelines with the injury, but has been assessed fit to play after a quicker-than-expected recovery.

It will be the first time in the key defender’s three seasons with the Lions that he has taken on his former club.

Maguire is just one of five changes to the Lions’ side that travelled to Sydney last weekend, with Simon Black also returning.

Black, an eleventh-hour withdrawal from last week’s team, has been named after training well this week, while Todd Banfield, Elliot Yeo and Aaron Cornelius round out the other changes.

Banfield has spent the past three weeks in the Reserves after recovering from a leg injury, while Cornelius, with six goals, and Yeo, 18, were among the best on ground in the Lions Reserves’ defeat of the Swans Reserves last Saturday.

Cheynee Stiller, Niall McKeever, Claye Beams, Josh Green and Ryan Lester have been omitted.

The full Lions Round 16 team is below:

B: Josh Drummond (39), Joel Patfull (24), Ryan Harwood (2)
HB: Elliot Yeo (26), Matt Maguire (36), Jed Adcock (7)
C: Pearce Hanley (11), Daniel Rich (10), Jack Redden (30)
HF: Jack Crisp (47), Jonathan Brown (16), Dayne Zorko (15)
F: James Polkinghorne (31), Daniel Merrett (21), Aaron Cornelius (44)
Foll: Ben Hudson (22), Tom Rockliff (38), Andrew Raines (29)
Int: Todd Banfield (18), Simon Black (20), Patrick Karnezis (28), Rohan Bewick (43)
Emer: Claye Beams (17), Amon Buchanan (33), Ryan Lester (35)

In: Matt Maguire, Elliot Yeo, Aaron Cornelius, Todd Banfield, Simon Black
Out: Cheynee Stiller (omitted), Niall McKeever (omitted), Claye Beams (omitted), Josh Green (omitted), Ryan Lester (omitted)