Essendon captain Jobe Watson looks set to return after ten weeks on the sidelines to take on West Coast at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Watson began training with teammates on Monday morning in his comeback from surgery to repair a ruptured rectus femoris tendon in his hip.

Club doctor Bruce Reid said barring any setback at training during the week Watson would line up against the Eagles.

“Jobe did a really hard session on Saturday and he is just joining in so he should play this week.”

“On his scan at ten weeks we like to look at the tendon and if it is looking black on the scan we are very happy.”

“The surgeon Julian Feller is very happy.”

Dashing defender Michael Hibberd is also set to line up against the Eagles after recovering from a minor hamstring strain.

Hibberd will also rejoin the main group at training this week to prove his fitness ahead of the all-important match on Saturday afternoon.

“He did a good hard session on Saturday so he will join in and without any hiccups he should play,” Reid said.

Veteran defender Dustin Fletcher is unlikely to take his place in the side as he continues to overcome a strained tendon in his finger.

“Dustin is a problem because he dislocated his finger and also tore part of a tendon in that finger,” Reid said.

“He is still very sore so he will be reviewed by Greg Hoy and there is a bit of a problem because of that finger.”

Jackson Merrett also remains under a cloud after injuring his hip against Collingwood in the VFL on Saturday.

Reid said Merrett would be monitored throughout the week with some doubt about whether he would line up on the weekend.

 “He has a minor injury to a hip rotate in his buttock but hopefully he gets up this week,” he said.