Essendon could potentially have Zach Reid, Jordan Ridley and Saad El-Hawli all available for selection to return to action against the SUNS on Saturday afternoon.

With the Dons coming off a 16-day break following last week’s mid-season bye, the trio have recovered well from respective injuries and will be tests for the Marvel Stadium clash.

Mason Redman went for precautionary scans after noting some hamstring awareness out of Saturday’s main training session. While the defender was cleared of any strain, he won’t be available for selection this week and is aiming to return against Richmond in round 18. 

As reported over the weekend, Kyle Langford and Darcy Parish each suffered injuries during the Club’s Saturday morning session.

Langford was sent for scans over the weekend, which confirmed a quad strain that will delay his return to play by several weeks. A timeframe will become clearer as his rehabilitation program takes full shape.  

After noting some discomfort following the session, follow-up scans have confirmed that Parish has sustained a minor strain to his calf and will also miss this weekend’s game. Similarly, a return to play timeline is yet to be determined.

Harrison Jones and Ben McKay continue to make steady progress in their recoveries, with both players in the early reloading phase of their programs, based on what their respective injuries are able to tolerate. Return to play timelines remain undefined.

Rookie Jayden Nguyen is set to return to play in a week’s time as he recovers from a foot injury sustained earlier in the season.