Willie Rioli will make his long-awaited West Coast return on Friday, but the Eagles have been hit with more bad luck on the injury and COVID-19 front.
Rioli, who received a two-year ban for twice tampering with a urine sample during the 2019 season, will make his return in a practice match against Fremantle at Mineral Resources Park.
The 26-year-old's career hung in the balance following the tampering breaches, and then again when he was caught with 24.2 grams of cannabis at Darwin airport last year.
West Coast considered tearing up his contract before eventually deciding to give him another chance.
Rioli's bid to return to playing duties late last year were dashed by a hamstring niggle, but he will be unleashed for his first match since the 2019 elimination final win over Essendon.
That is where the good news ends for West Coast.
Star forward Liam Ryan will miss the game against Fremantle after entering the AFL's Health and Safety Protocols.
The Eagles now face a nervous wait to see if there will be a COVID-19 outbreak within their squad during the most crucial part of their pre-season.
The club announced on Thursday that premiership defender Tom Cole will miss at least half the season with a serious ankle injury.
Cole suffered the ankle cartilage injury during a drill at training on Tuesday and will undergo surgery.
The 24-year-old joins a host of key West Coast players on the sidelines.
Forward Oscar Allen will need to spend at least one more week in a moon boot due to stress fracture in his foot, while goalsneak Jamie Cripps will also miss the start of the season after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral.
Skipper Luke Shuey (hamstring) and defender Liam Duggan (knee) are facing a race to be fit for round one, with mature-age recruit Greg Clark to miss at least two months with a shoulder injury.
Star forward Jack Darling remains unvaccinated and could miss the entire season, while All-Australian defender Brad Sheppard was forced into early retirement due to a lingering concussion.
West Coast recruit Sam Petrevski-Seton's is on track to play in the club's second pre-season game against Fremantle after scans cleared him of any serious damage to his knee.
Fremantle will be without ruckman Sean Darcy (thumb), skipper Nat Fyfe (shoulder), defender Joel Hamling, Luke Ryan, and Michael Walters among others.
The Dockers will unleash new recruits Jordan Clark and Will Brodie.
