Winderlich hasn't played an AFL game since he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in round four last year. The 27-year-old returned for a fleeting performance in the NAB Cup, but has struggled with several hamstring strains during his recovery.
Coach James Hird said forwards Stewart Crameri (suspension) and Angus Monfries (hamstring) were set to play against the Cats, and that Winderlich was also in contention.
""We'll see how he trains today,"" Hird said on Thursday morning.
""He's played two games in the VFL. There's no doubt Jason's an outstanding player and definitely good enough to be in the team.
""It's just whether we're doing the right thing by him playing him off a limited preparation and whether he's better to get up another four quarters in the Bendigo team before he comes in. We'll make that decision after looking at him today.""
The Bombers can boost their top-four hopes with a win over the Cats, which would secure Essendon its 12th win of the season.
Hird acknowledged it was an important game in the club's season.
""The whole round is pretty defining for a lot of teams,"" he said.
""I think the next three or four weeks for the top eight … we'll see where it settles. This Friday for us is a huge game. It's a game we want to win, need to win and need to play well in.""
The Bombers carry some momentum into the clash after kicking eight goals to none in the final quarter of last week's win over Port Adelaide. It was Essendon's fourth game outside Victoria this year and each time the club has won its final terms.
Hird said although the club's new fitness program had resulted in some soft-tissue injuries, it is now more capable of playing out four quarters.
""It wasn't the fadeout at the back of the year [that we were disappointed with last year] because we actually won enough games to get us into the finals,"" Hird said.
""It was more the way we faded out of games that we were disappointed about. That's probably why our training regime is where it's at, because we've decided to go a way where we want to compete at the end of games, not just at the start of games.
""To do that you need to train your players hard. It's been well-documented that we've had some injuries doing that, but there's also been some reward in the way we've played in last quarters.""
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