Essendon is set to counter the loss of another two players to season-ending injuries by recalling James Hird and experienced midfielder Scott Camporeale for Sunday's round 12 AFL game against red-hot Melbourne at Telstra Dome.

Hird and Camporeale took part in match practice at Bombers training on Wednesday and are poised to return from lengthy absences through hamstring problems to counter the Demons' in-form on-ball brigade, which smashed Collingwood last Monday.

Their likely returns offsets more bad news on the injury front at Windy Hill, as midfielder Jason Winderlich and mobile ruckman Jason Laycock, two of the Bombers' more exciting young players, will not play again this season because of leg injuries.

The pair was listed earlier this week as absentees for the next six weeks, but Laycock, who has a knee injury, and Winderlich, who has a broken leg, have been directed to focus of getting fit for next season.

"That's really, really sad for them but that brings in the opportunity for two other boys to get a look in there," said Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy.

Laycock was being considered to play Melbourne, but Sheedy said he underwent surgery on Tuesday.

"We were thinking of playing him and then having the operation next week, but why do that?," he said.

"He might injure himself and make it worse, so we wouldn't do that with a young player."

Hird and Camporeale were forecast not to play again until after the mid-season break, having not played rounds seven and six respectively.

Sheedy said the Bombers had to be mindful of the pair's limited game time this season, but envisaged they would play a full game between them off the bench.

"They've missed a fair bit of footy so we've got to watch out and make sure the rest of the team doesn't suffer because of a lack of match fitness, it's a balance really," he said.

"They haven't played much footy and Camporeale has been a long time out, but we don't have a VFL game this weekend, the Bendigo Bombers aren't playing."

Fullback Dustin Fletcher, who suffered a minor groin injury in last Friday's loss to Geelong, did not train and will be tested later in the week.

Another loss will stretch Essendon's losing run to 11 games - the second-longest streak in Essendon's history - but Sheedy said the players were not itching for the break.

"No, they're itching for a win, they're a very positive team," he said.

"I've never been involved with a group that has won so (few) games but their positiveness (sic) is very good.

"Normally you're trying to pump people up and give them false confidence but they know and we know we've got to play better and perform better.

"But I haven't seen them flatten down, maybe after (the) Adelaide (defeat, by 138 points), but to bounce back and get 65 inside-50s (against Geelong) and we should have kicked 18 goals, so that's not a bad effort."

Sheedy also remained in high spirits personally despite being halfway through the worst coaching season of his 26.

"I drive past the Carlton cemetery every day, so I'm going OK," he said.

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