West Coast is set to tread a cautious path in round one of the NAB Cup against Fremantle and Essendon at Patersons Stadium on Sunday, with key players Nic Naitanui, Daniel Kerr, Beau Waters and Will Schofield to be rested.

Coach John Worsfold has also indicated that veterans Darren Glass and Dean Cox will probably only play one of the Eagles two shortened matches this weekend.

“There are quite a few that won’t be out there,” Worsfold said on Tuesday morning.

“The main ones are obviously Naitanui coming back from surgery, Waters, probably Kerr, Embley won’t play,” he said.

But while veteran Andrew Embley is still a couple of weeks away from being ready after a shoulder injury, the issue with Naitanui (pectoral surgery), Kerr (finger), Waters (elbow) and Schofield (shoulder) is timing their entry into the pre-season competition.

“Kerr is right to play but it is more about us mapping out his program to get him ready for the season,” Worsfold said. “Nic probably either the next NAB Cup game or the third one. Embley I am not sure about – the way he is tracking along he will be right in a couple of weeks.”

“Beau should be right for our next NAB Cup game and if not that one the third one.”

“Schofield is training and is right to go this week but is one we will weigh up about the best preparation.”

Worsfold said he liked the three team first round format because it enabled clubs to ease their way into match practice. He was also not concerned about the two interchange two substitute rule on trial this year, predicting players would adapt. It just meant extra planning for clubs, he said.

“It is exciting and the format makes it very interesting. Having The two games and having two on the bench and two subs. There is a lot to think about,. A lot of planning.”

“It definitely gives you that opportunity (to ease players in). You can have players that play twenty minutes of football, forty minutes of football, up to eighty minutes of football.”

“It gives you a lot of flexibility and a range of where players preparations are at.”

Naitanui’s absence and lighter loads for Cox will mean youngster Scott Lycett will have an opportunity to press his claims – both as a ruckman and marking forward.