Highlanders assistant coach Scott McLeod said yesterday Sopoaga had trained and was moving freely. The side takes on the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Sopoaga missed last Friday night's game against the Force because of a groin strain but McLeod said there was no temptation to leave the first five-eighth because the team had the bye next week.
‘‘We want to get our top players in and play them,'' he said.
Sopoaga had performed well so far this season and would want to get back on the field to continue to impress.
The prognosis was far grimmer for Edmonds, who will not be seen again this season.
The absence of Edmonds was a blow to the side, McLeod said.
‘‘He has been an integral part of our team and our scrum and was just hitting really good form for us so it is a real shame to lose him.
‘‘It is a case of what hasn't he done in his knee. He has done a fair bit of extensive damage and there will be a bit of surgery to get it right and he will be out for the rest of the year.''
Edmonds injured his knee in the first couple of minutes against the Force while in a breakdown and limped slowly off.
No replacement has been announced. Daniel Lienert-Brown and Craig Millar are the two other looseheads in the squad.
Captain Ben Smith took a knock to the head last week and also left the field.
McLeod said Smith was going through concussion protocol and it was looking reasonably positive he might return this week.
Injured winger Waisake Naholo was progressing well from his broken leg and was back running.
He was targeting the match against the Sharks in Dunedin on April 22 as his comeback game.