Lambert has missed the Tigers' past six games with a calf injury but coach Damien Hardwick said the 29-year-old would face the Eagles at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

He looms as a straight swap for Dion Prestia, who was substituted out of Saturday night's win over Essendon late with hamstring tightness.

"He's an incredibly important player both on and off the field ... He'll be back which is great," Hardwick told SEN Breakfast about Lambert.

"We look forward to him raining chaos on the opposition - because that's what he does. He's so important to the way we play.

"(It) will be good to welcome the little man back."

Hardwick said there was a "chance" Prestia would feature against West Coast but suggested Richmond would take a cautious approach.

"He had some tightness which is obviously a worry with Dion. He was coming back off a calf and an early hamstring," Hardwick said.

"It's one of those ones that's touch and go. We're pretty conservative with our injuries.

"He's a very important player and a long-term player for us so we won't push the envelope if there's any doubt at all."

David Astbury (achilles) won't return until after the bye but Hardwick said power forward Tom Lynch was "tracking really well" in his return from knee surgery.

"He's back in Melbourne obviously, which is a little bit tough, but he's doing a power of work in rehab... We look forward to getting him back," Hardwick said.

"He was carrying that injury for a little while.

"It's funny, once he's had the surgery he realised how much it was holding him back with regard to his movement in his knee.

"So that's going to be a real positive for us."

Meanwhile, Hardwick was optimistic breakout star Shai Bolton, who is out of contract at season's end, would emulate his Tigers teammates in re-signing for less money.

"The vast majority of (our players) will sacrifice to stay and we hope Shai's one of those players," he said.

"He's a prodigious talent, there's no doubt.

"You've only got to look at the last 12 minutes of that game (against Essendon) to see what he can do, and the improvement level he's still got in front of him is enormous.

"Look, we think he'll stay but until he puts his signature on the dotted line we don't know."

Australian Associated Press