ESSENDON will be without star defender Michael Hurley against Fremantle on Sunday afternoon at Etihad Stadium and while former captain Jobe Watson is expected to return, he is no certainty to play either.

Hurley, 27, is dealing with a calf strain that forced him to miss last Saturday's win against Gold Coast.

Watson was rested for that game and while coach John Worsfold said at Bombers headquarters on Wednesday he expected the 32-year-old back, that would be decided on Thursday.

"Providing Jobe's feeling really fresh and ready to go, I'd say he'd be playing, but I haven't had that conversation with him yet. I'll do that tomorrow morning and then we'll decide after that," Worsfold said.

The triple best and fairest winner has struggled in recent weeks, having averaged 16 disposals per game in his past three matches.

"I'm expecting that he'll be right to go this week but if not, the plan will be that he's fresh and in great nick for any games beyond that," Worsfold said.

Should Essendon lose, and other results go against the Bombers, Watson may have played his last game of AFL football.

Meanwhile, the coach is confident Hurley will be fit for Essendon's first final since 2014, assuming it makes September.

"That's the plan, absolutely. We're really confident. We weren't prepared to take the risk to train him up to even consider him for this week, so that means in all likelihood he'll be right for beyond (round 23)," Worsfold said.

A win against the Dockers would confirm either seventh or eighth-spot (depending on Melbourne's result against Collingwood), while a shock loss would mean the Bombers would need West Coast, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs to lose.

If Watson doesn't line up this weekend, he won't have played in a month by the first week of finals, but Worsfold said that wouldn't concern him.

"I'd be comfortable that he would do the work required to be in great touch," Worsfold said.

Fremantle has lost consecutive games by 104 points and have the lowest percentage in the competition, leading to Essendon being hot favourites.

However, Worsfold's preparation won't change.

"Like every game I coach, you go in with a sense of anxiety about how's the team going to perform, have we got them prepared right up to the right minute and the right mind frame," Worsfold said.

"That'll be my anxiety, around just making sure we've done the best preparation for this game.

"I'm not going to be spending any time watching other results and worrying about that."