Essendon’s quest for a finals berth is set for a timely boost with star midfielder Dylan Shiel on the verge of a return.

Shiel has been sidelined since suffering a torn meniscus in round two, with a decision to be made on whether he slots straight back into the senior line-up or returns via the reserves when declared fit.

The Bombers combined with the Kangaroos in a scratch match against Brisbane’s reserves on Saturday, following the AFL’s decision to postpone all round 14 VFL games.

While the VFL fixtures for this week and beyond remain unclear, Shiel said there was plenty to weigh up ahead of his return.

“I’m almost ready to declare myself fit to play. I’m just trying to work out what that pathway looks like coming back,” Shiel told RSN 927 on Tuesday.

"I'm looking to get some sort of footy played this week or have a really big training session.

“I’m not sure what the VFL league is doing at the moment. Our guys didn’t play for VFL points on the weekend, so we’re just figuring out whether I’ll go through that (scratch match) pathway or accumulate really good training with the AFL guys and make a straight return there. They’re conversations I need to have with the coach.

“There are different ways to go about it. You can get some experience and play an actual game of footy, or you can manipulate your training, where the strength and conditioning department can manipulate your training loads to get exactly what they’re after from you.

“There are things to be careful of when you’re returning from a long stint out of the game in terms of hamstring and calf loading. I need to make sure that when I come back, I’m not at risk of doing a soft-tissue injury."

The Bombers have remained in Queensland following Sunday’s 18-point win over North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium that propelled them into eighth spot.

It’s unclear how long they’ll spend in the Sunshine State, with Sunday’s game against GWS – originally scheduled for Marvel Stadium on Saturday – still without a venue confirmed.

Shiel said he and his teammates were staying open-minded and controlling the controllables ahead of what could be the club’s ninth interstate game this season.

“We’ve gained perspective. Things were challenging in the hub last year, but nowhere near as challenging as what people were facing in Victoria and what the public are facing in Sydney at the moment. We’re very fortunate we’re able to continue doing our work in a nice environment,” he said.

“We’re fine. It can be challenging with training and finding locations, but we’re enjoying the challenging and embracing it.

“You can only control what you can control, and that’s how we approach our training, day-to-day footy operations and games of footy. Even though we’ve relocated and a lot of things are happening, that’s (modus operandi) not going to change for us.”

The club will release its weekly performance and injury update ahead of round 19 on Wednesday.