Livewire forward Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti will return to playing in Essendon's VFL clash with Casey Demons on Saturday.

McDonald-Tipungwuti, 28, was granted a leave of absence in early February to deal with personal matters, while also managing a calf injury over pre-season.

General manager of football Josh Mahoney said the fan favourite had worked hard since his return to the club.

"We’re excited to have 'Walla' (McDonald-Tipungwuti) back available to play a VFL game this weekend," Mahoney said.

"He’s been working hard and increasing his training loads over the past four to six weeks, and this is another step in his progression towards returning to play AFL football."

Talented young defender Zach Reid will also be a welcome addition to the VFL Bombers' line-up, marking his first game of 2022.

Since his AFL debut in round five against Brisbane last year, the 2021 No.10 draft pick has unfortunately battled glandular fever, stress fractures and a foot injury.

"'Reidy' has been recovering from a couple of separate long-term injuries over pre-season. We’re thrilled to have him back and looking forward to him building continuity in his training and playing over the next period of time," Mahoney said.

The VFL Bombers will face Casey from 3:05pm at Casey Fields on Saturday, with the match streamed live on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App.