St Kilda forward Fraser Gehrig is off the club's long-term injury list, but remains unlikely to return to AFL action.

The 32-year-old veteran of 260 games has not played since round eight.

He battled chronic arthritis in his hand earlier in the year and struggled to find a role in the club's forward set-up, which appeared to lack pace when he was playing.

The club said Gehrig was now training strongly, but remained unlikely to return to the team.

"Obviously it's been tough for Fraser to sit on the sidelines and watch the guys play for the majority of the year, but it's a really positive step for him to have resumed full training," coach Ross Lyon said.

Gehrig, who retired at the end of the 2007 season before changing his mind and returning to the club, accepted that his comeback had not worked well.

"I know where I fit in the current scope of the team and it will be really tough to get back," he said.

"My return to football didn't quite go to plan earlier this year and my body just hasn't held up the way I would have liked.

"I've worked hard to stay on track, remain focused and give the Saints everything that I can."

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