With a historic four-peat in their sights, the Panthers have received a major boost ahead of their qualifying final.

Co-captain and superstar Nathan Cleary has been named to return against the Roosters on Friday night.

After an injury-affected regular season, the halfback is set to slot back in at No. 7 at a crucial period

Cleary suffered shoulder instability in his team’s Round 24 blockbuster with the Storm, which saw him miss three games.

It was a re-aggravation of an injury that saw him sidelined for a couple of months in the middle of the season.

Despite a disjointed campaign, his Panthers teammates are confident he will hit the ground running in the upcoming finals series.

“If there’s any guy in the game that’s going to get back and be in good form, I think it’s him,” halves partner Jarome Luai said.

“We’re all backing him in.

“He’s ticking all the right boxes. You know what he’s like, he’ll do whatever he can to make sure he’s fit and ready.

“He hasn’t missed a beat, so I’m backing him in.

Penrith’s home qualifying final with the Roosters is scheduled for a 7:50 pm AEST kick-off on Friday, September 13.

A loss would see them take on the winner of the Bulldogs vs. Sea Eagles elimination final in a semi-final clash next week.

A win would send them straight through to the preliminary final, and leave them one victory away from another decider.