WEST Coast recruit Jack Redden has suffered a setback in his recovery from an adductor injury, but coach Adam Simpson says the midfielder is still a chance to play in the NAB Challenge.
Redden was traded to the Eagles during the off-season following 129 games with the Brisbane Lions.
His training before Christmas was limited as he was coming off adductor surgery in August, but he was expected to be in full training in January.
However Simpson confirmed on Wednesday morning that Redden had another minor operation on his adductor that would keep him out of training for a little while longer.
"He missed the last part of the year at Brisbane with the same injury, so it's more about recovering from that," Simpson said.
"I think we're over the hump, so hopefully he will be available for NAB Challenge.
"It's hard to predict, but at the moment without any hiccups I think he'll play some games."
Young midfielder Dom Sheed was another player who didn't participate in the Eagles' 90-minute session at Domain Stadium on Tuesday.
Sheed had minor surgery on his left knee before Christmas to fix a meniscus problem. He appeared briefly on the track using a scooter to do some cardio/strength work using just his right leg.
Simpson said Sheed was on a similar recovery schedule to Redden and expected him to be in the frame for the NAB Challenge.
The Eagles' first NAB Challenge match is against Adelaide at Unley Oval in Adelaide on February 21.
Simpson said his squad was in good shape following the two-week Christmas break, with close to 40 players on the track on Tuesday.
Defender Will Schofield participated in most of the session after having been on a limited program before Christmas following an operation on his ankle.
Exciting second-year midfielder Liam Duggan is back in full training after missing the second half of last season with a knee injury.
"We were really cautious with Duggo in the last half of the year," Simpson said.
"I'm not going to put too much pressure on him. I think he's got a heap of talent. He played some games last year along with Jackson Nelson, so our expectations are that they will improve again but that doesn't always happen."
Fellow 2014 draftee Damien Cavka is still absent from training as he continues to suffer ongoing stress issues in his foot.
He managed just two WAFL reserves matches and one WAFL league match last season due to the injury and faces a long recovery process following further surgery.
"It's going to be a longer-term issue for Cavs," Simpson said.
"We've got to wait and see how he pulls up from his recent operation. It's a tough run."
The rest of the Eagles squad trained well in 30-plus degree heat on Tuesday.
Simpson said the training focus remained on ball movement and defensive structures, but contact training and match simulation would become more prevalent in the coming weeks.