WESTERN Bulldogs star Liam Picken is still suffering low-level headaches as he recovers from a serious concussion that ruled him out of the whole of the 2018 season.

Picken, 32, was involved in a sickening collision with teammate Josh Dunkley in the JLT Community Series back in February, and as a result, the Bulldogs medical staff took a cautious approach to rest him for the remainder of the season.

While the 2016 premiership hero has been training from day one of the club's pre-season campaign, Picken is still not involved in contact drills.

"(Liam) does still has some low-level headaches, and we're working closely with his specialists around his return to full training," medical services manager Chris Bell told westernbulldogs.com.au.

FULL FIXTURE Every round, every game

"At the moment he's non-contact, and he'll remain non-contact until we get the green light."

In another worrying sign for the Dogs, fifth-year midfielder Lukas Webb still remains in a neck brace after sustaining a vertebrate injury in the VFL back in August.

It still remains unclear when the 22-year-old will be permitted to return to full training.

"Lukas sustained a really rare compression injury to one of the vertebrae in his upper back, but he's back doing some low-level running," Bell said.

WHO MAKES FINALS? Do the 2019 Ladder Predictor

"Although he still is in his neck brace, we're going to re-scan Lukas in about eight weeks, which will give more information about how fully healed the injury is."

Wingman Bailey Dale is still on a modified program as he rehabilitates a stress injury to the navicular bone in his foot, but the 23-year-old is expected to return to full training in the next four to five weeks.

In other injury news, off-season surgeries to Jason Johannisen (hip) and Caleb Daniel (knee) will leave them unlikely to join the main group until after Christmas, while Billy Gowers is running strongly as he recovers from a fractured wrist he received in a car accident last month.