Midfielder Dylan Shiel is backing Essendon to show no ill-effects from a challenging week when it returns to the action against Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night.

The Bombers were due to face Melbourne on Sunday until Conor McKenna's positive COVID-19 test on Saturday forced the game to be postponed.

It meant all Essendon players had to enter a 48-hour quarantine period, before being cleared of the virus after further testing on Tuesday.

Shiel remained philosophical about the situation, saying the undefeated Bombers had already pushed through unique circumstances.

"It's just another week in 2020 ... We've had to be really flexible this year and I think the footy club's been really good with rolling with whatever's happening," Shiel told RSN 927 on Thursday morning.

"We play round one with no crowds, we then go into eight weeks of lockdown, we fly up to Sydney on the day of the game and fly back home, and the following week we have a rest. It's a strange time, strange year, but if you can roll with the punches and stay flexible, that's what's required among every player, every team and every staff (member) to get the comp going.

"You look at the teams up in the Queensland hub, and we certainly appreciate how flexible they've been for all of us to keep the game going. We'll look back at this as an interesting chapter in the journey."

The Bombers returned to the NEC Hangar on Wednesday, completing light drills ahead of Thursday's main session.

Shiel said while a weekend without playing wasn't ideal, the imposed rest meant the team had returned fresh and raring to go for round four.

"The guys came back yesterday in good spirits and energy. We'll rock up again this morning, do our main training session and get ready like it's a normal week, even though it certainly wasn't," he said.

"None of us have forgotten how to play footy and none of us have actually played a game last week, so it's not like we're feeling sore or carrying new injuries.

"We were able to get good conditioning into the players on Tuesday, where we were allowed to leave our homes for training but weren't allowed at the club. The guys were able to get a good run into the legs and get going.

"We need to make the best of the situation we're in, and the guys feel great. When you miss a game, you feel fresh and ready."

While Shiel stressed the need for all clubs and players to stay flexible and make sacrifices to keep the game going, the 27-year-old joked there could be a silver lining to all of it.

"I'm sort of enjoying this one game on, 10 weeks off, one game on, one week off," he said.

"We talk about shortening games and extending careers - you'd be able to play until you're 40 going at this rate."

Essendon will come up against a Carlton outfit fresh off its two-point win over Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night.

Having watched the game closely while in quarantine, Shiel said the Bombers would have their work cut out against the Blues.

"They were super impressive," he said.

"We're certainly going to be ready for a high-pressure, intense contest. They played a really good brand against Geelong."

The Bombers and Blues will face off for the 249th time at 7:40pm AEST on Saturday night, with the action broadcast live on Channel Seven.