THE WESTERN Bulldogs travel to Adelaide to take on the Crows on Sunday and welcome back defender Tom Williams as they search for a return to the winners list.

Williams was a late withdrawal from the side that fell to the Saints last week after a plantar fasciitis (foot) flare-up, but football manager James Fantasia said the 22-year-old had dispelled any lingering doubts over his fitness.

"It was touch and go for Tommy to play last week and he's been good on the track all week so he's ready to go," Fantasia said.

"He's had trouble with that before, and I read somewhere that Robert Harvey deliberately snapped his, but I don't think Tommy's done that.

"Those things become a bit of a pain management issue rather than something that will not allow you to play. He's feeling pretty good with it so we're confident he's right."

Williams has been named in the starting 18, but Callan Ward and Scott Welsh appear on an extended bench and will have to survive Friday's final selection to play.

However, senior coach Rodney Eade said in his Thursday media conference that it was more likely Welsh would play in the VFL as he looks to get in some valuable game time.

Welsh has recently struggled with a back complaint, unrelated to the issue that hampered him in the pre-season.

"He's had a tightness in his back recently where his bulging disc was a different kind of restriction," Fantasia said of the former Crow.

"It hasn't allowed him to get the sort of flexibility that he wants so that's why it's taken a bit longer than he'd like.

"In a perfect world, if he had had a bit more game time then he's a good chance to play. But Rodney was keen to bring him into the squad in case we need to bring in another forward."

As the former recruiting manager at Adelaide, Fantasia spent a great deal of time building the Crows' list and admitted he would be pleased to help plot its downfall this week.

He said it wouldn't be an easy task for the Dogs, who have not beaten the Crows on their home patch since 2001.

"We know we'll have our work cut out for us," he said.

"We're playing them at home where we know that they can get their tails up and have the ability to respond after some probably less-than-desirable performances.

"The good part about that is that you'd rather be playing those sorts of tough games and getting it right because you gain a lot more from them.

"The fact that we haven't performed that well at AAMI Stadium and coming off three losses just adds to the challenge. There's never a better time to get it right."