MELBOURNE will blood two debutants against West Coast on Sunday but top draft pick Luke Jackson is likely to miss out on selection despite being in the extended squad.

Jackson's fellow first-round draft pick Kysaiah 'Kozzy' Pickett and second-year player Toby Bedford will be unleashed on Optus Stadium as the Demons try to cause a boilover.

 Coach Simon Goodwin revealed both small forwards would make the final cut, although high-profile pair Nathan Jones (Achilles) and Christian Salem (glandular fever) are unavailable.

The club also confirmed on Thursday that luckless utility Aaron vandenBerg would be sidelined for up to three months after breaking his foot in the final Marsh Community Series game against Hawthorn. 

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"The week was looking like it wasn't going to take place (because of the coronavirus outbreak) but we've also got two debutants, which makes them even more special," Goodwin said.

"They've had great summers and I'm looking forward to seeing them put their skills on show forward of centre.

"(Pickett)'s just got genuine excitement for us. He's the small forward that brings a lot of aerial presence but also ground-level pressure, and he's got an enormous amount of talent.

"We think he's going to offer our forward line a different look … that small forward who can really pressurise the opposition and have an inside-50 finish is something we've really been looking for."

Goodwin said he prioritised sending a "fit and healthy" squad to Perth and that Jones and Salem had not completed enough of a training load but were in contention to return next week. 

The Demons will board a chartered Virgin Australia flight to Western Australia but are still working out the "intricacies" of how everything will work, including whether they can bypass walking through Perth airport.

Goodwin said neither he nor the players had any reservations despite the COVID-19 threat and that playing in front of an empty Optus Stadium could be a blessing in disguise. 

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The Demons have performed almost as well as any Victorian side against the Eagles in Perth in recent years, apart from their 2018 preliminary final thrashing. 

They've won two of their last five match-ups with West Coast over there and two of the losses were by a combined 22 points, as well as running Adam Simpson's side close in Alice Springs last season. 

"There's a silver lining in everything," Goodwin said with a grin about the lack of a crowd.

"They're a very parochial crowd and a very proud football state, so to play West Coast over there, who we know are an unbelievable side, with no crowd, we think that evens up the playing field from our end. 

"We're looking forward to getting over there and playing them in that sort of environment. It will be different."

Melbourne prepared for the situation with no music or crowd for its match simulation at Casey Fields on Saturday.