WESTERN Bulldogs playmaker Matt Suckling has returned to full training after recovering from an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the club's 2016 Grand Final triumph.

The 28-year-old underwent post-season surgery to correct the problem that hampered him during the second half of last year, and the recovery period has impeded the former Hawk's pre-season.

Bulldogs development manager Chris Maple expects Suckling to play some part in the club's remaining two JLT Community Series matches.   

"Matty has re-joined the group now, in full training, so he won’t be too far away and hopefully we can see him in the next couple of weeks," Maple said.

"Late (last) year he was struggling to get up week to week and obviously missed the Grand Final, but at the moment he is back in full training and, as I said, we should see him in one of the next two JLTs."

Suckling played just 17 games in his debut season at Whitten Oval, as he also succumbed to an ankle issue that forced him to miss a month.

Star midfielder Liam Picken is also ready to return to the field after recovering from a fractured cheekbone sustained in a training mishap recently.

With Picken and Suckling both back in full training, it leaves very few Bulldogs unavailable for selection.

Jordan Roughead is one of those in the rehab group, with the ruckman to miss at least eight weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in the Dogs' loss to Melbourne on Saturday.

He joins Mitch Wallis (broken leg) and ACL victims Jack Redpath and Josh Prudden as players unavailable for round one of the home and away season.