Essendon could be bolstered by the return of up to four players from injury this weekend following their bye round.

The break has been timely for Mason Redman in his recovery from a hamstring strain, set to be available provided he gets through training without issue.

Xavier Duursma and Ben Hobbs are each pushing for a return this week, eyeing off their first appearances since round nine and round 11 respectively following quad and calf injuries.

Ruck Sam Draper is now in the mix to play following his knee surgery in mid-May.

Will Setterfield will be a test this week after being subbed out with knee soreness late in the round 13 loss to the Blues.

The returning group of important players are set to give the Dons a major boost entering the second half of their campaign, beginning with Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles at Marvel Stadium.

Defender Kaine Baldwin has suffered a setback after pulling up with some ankle soreness following training last week.

Further investigation showed a minor irritation of his previous navicular bone stress injury, meaning he will need to briefly deload before ramping his training up again in the coming weeks.