TOBY McLean and Tom Liberatore are firmly in the mix to return as the Western Bulldogs prepare for Friday night's grudge match against Greater Western Sydney.

Coach Luke Beveridge made five changes for round two after the long layoff, but there could be more this week.

IN THE MIX Who's a chance, who's under the pump?

"He (Liberatore) had a really good session on Saturday and he's come through that with flying colours," Beveridge said.

"That was the last one he needed to tick off and so we'll definitely consider him for Friday night."

The Giants clash looms as a huge test for the winless Dogs after they were outmuscled in last year's elimination final by 58 points.

With Jeremy Cameron, Jeremy Finlayson, Toby Greene and Harry Himmelberg to battle in the air, Beveridge named Zaine Cordy as another potential inclusion.

THE FULL INJURY LIST Who is racing the clock?

Jackson Trengove could also be an option to play as a defender and provide a chop out for Tim English who was again beaten comfortably in the hitouts.

Beveridge highlighted a number of areas that needed addressing in the aftermath of the round two loss to St Kilda, most notably the midfield.

The Bulldogs have conceded the second-most points of any team this year and have scored just 83 points combined across the two games. 

"There's some quite blatant things that we've identified that we can fix," Beveridge said.

"Some of those are just fundamental skill errors and decisions.

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"Our midfield and our backline, our counterattack and our stuff out of stoppages hasn't been anywhere near as productive as what it was last year.

"You have to re-establish yourself all over again and that maturity as a football team isn't quite there yet."

Despite the huge drop in scoring from last year, Beveridge won't be shaking up the forward line.

Aaron Naughton will stay in his role as a key forward and it looks unlikely that Josh Schache will break back into the side after kicking 24 goals last year.

"He's a listed player who's still got a promising future but he's not in the team at the moment," Beveridge said of Schache.

The Bulldogs will be without defenders Easton Wood and Taylor Duryea again who are both a month off the pace with quad injuries.

The two trained away from the main group in parts on Wednesday, alongside Hayden Crozier and Buku Khamis who are managing their loads.

Meanwhile, Mission Foods Australia extended its partnership with the Bulldogs until the end of 2023.