WEST Coast captain Shannon Hurn says Lewis Jetta has the fitness base to play against the Brisbane Lions on Sunday, despite a limited preparation due to a calf strain.
Jetta has played just five quarters of football in the pre-season after he injured his calf in the first term of the Eagles' second NAB Challenge match against Gold Coast on March 3.
The former Sydney Swan is touch and go to play against the Lions this weekend with Eagles coach Adam Simpson stating on Monday that a decision would be made after training on Thursday.
Hurn said Jetta could play despite having very little football under his belt, but added the decision would be left to the match committee.
"I think the way he's trained he's been able to do enough," Hurn said on Tuesday.
"But it will certainly be a case of getting through this week and seeing how the match committee views it."
The Eagles have been hit by a spate of injuries late in the pre-season. Chris Masten (ankle), Dom Sheed (torn pec), Sharrod Wellingham (knee) and Mitch Brown (finger) will all miss the early part of the season while the likes of Jetta, Jack Redden and Mark Hutchings are underdone heading into round one.
Hurn said he was confident there was enough depth within the group to cover those losses.
"There are no big concerns, I don't think," Hurn said.
"In the past two years we've been able to get some reasonable depth, and last year we covered reasonably well down back and we've had to do that up forward in recent times as well."
Redden is fit and available to play against his old side on Sunday after playing in the final game of the NAB Challenge and for East Perth in the WAFL last Saturday.
Redden collected 20 disposals and kicked a goal for East Perth in a 76-point loss to Claremont.
But Hurn said both Simpson and assistant coach Dean Cox had reported Redden was a strong contributor on an otherwise disappointing day.
Simpson has not guaranteed Redden a start for round one, but Hurn said he has been impressed with the Eagles' new recruit despite his injury-interrupted summer.
"The beauty about him is I think he's a reasonably smart player," Hurn said.
"I've been able to see him a bit at training but he's another one of those guys that can (win) a bit of that contested footy, and over the years at Brisbane he's been able to go forward and kick a couple of goals.
"That's the pleasing thing that I think our midfielders can do now. So he'll be another one that can add that."
The Eagles start overwhelming favourites to beat a young Lions side on Sunday, but Hurn said his players would not be taking the Lions lightly.