Key Eagles to miss Freo clash

WEST Coast is set to enter Saturday’s clash with Fremantle without a number of key players as coach John Worsfold nurses his stars through the remainder of the pre-season.

Dean Cox is due for a rest, while star onballer Daniel Kerr is battling illness. Adam Hunter (shoulder) and Andrew Embley (knee) are both recovering from injuries.

Worsfold said he would still look to play Kerr, who was absent from Tuesday’s skills session, while other senior players would be rested over the last two pre-season matches.

“He’s a bit ill this morning and he’ll see a doctor today,” Worsfold said of Kerr.

“At this stage we’ll look to play him but we’ll see how he pulls up later today. If he was ill for much longer than today, we would definitely rest him.

“What we’d like to do is rest a few players over both weeks… so some senior players will certainly play, others will have a rest."

Worsfold said he was happy with the workload Cox has carried this pre-season and he would be rested in an effort to have him in peak condition for round one.

"At this stage Coxy's probably one key player that we could say we're going to rest," Worsfold said. 

"The others – guys like Adam Selwood, [Tyson] Stenglein, [Matt] Priddis – we're going to weigh up which of those may rest this week and which may rest next week."

After being eased into the pre-season, Worsfold said captain Darren Glass could play out the remaining two games. 

However, the skipper would not be joined by senior teammates Embley and Hunter, who are both expected to recover for the side's round one appointment with the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.

Worsfold said the Eagles would do everything they could to support this Saturday's derby, which is raising money for those affected by the Victorian bushfires, but having as many key players fit for round one as possible was the priority. 

"We're certainly conscious that we'd like to support the game with some key players out [there], and that's why we won't rest them all," he said.

"But there are going to be some players that won't be able to get out there. It'll be a great game regardless."