Star West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr could join Dean Cox, Adam Hunter and Andrew Embley on the sidelines for Saturday's AFL western derby clash with Fremantle after coming down with a virus.

Kerr was a notable absentee from training on Tuesday but Eagles coach John Worsfold was hopeful the 25-year-old would recover in time to take part in the charity match, which will raise money for the victims of Victoria's bushfires.

"(Kerr was) just a bit ill this morning so he'll see a doctor today," Worsfold said.

"Nothing to worry about.

"At this stage we'll look to play him but we'll see how he pulls up later today.

"If he was ill for much longer than today we'll definitely rest him, but we'll weigh that up."

Worsfold said Cox was almost certain to be given the night off after featuring in the Eagles' opening two pre-season games, while Hunter (shoulder) and Embley (knee) may not even play in the pre-season at all as West Coast's medical staff carefully manage their rehabilitation.

"We are confident he (Hunter) will be right for the season, and we are just trying a couple of different things in terms of his overall treatment," Worsfold said.

"(Embley's) travelling well.

"We won't play him this week. we'll see how he is next week.

"In the ideal world you'd play him in a pre-season game but it's not a necessity.

"Other guys like Adam Selwood, (Tyson) Stenglein and (Matt) Priddis, we are going to weigh up which of those we may rest this week and which of those we rest next week.

"(Darren) Glass is similar, we'll have a look at how he's going.

"We didn't give him a massive role against Collingwood, he sat mainly in the back pocket.

"He played a bit more the other night (against Adelaide).

"He's tracking along well, he could easily play in the next two games and that would get him cherry ripe."

While some coaches have expressed concern about the impact zoning will have on the competition this season, Worsfold was confident the concept would "work itself out".

"It's certainly going to be harder to get the ball inside your forward 50," Worsfold said.

"With two teams trying to do a similar thing, it's just lower inside 50s, a lot more ball going backwards between the two (arcs).

"It seems to be you can score when you get it in there more easily but it's harder to get it in there.

"So it may balance out and it may not have any impact, but it's hard to pick.

"I think that (a lot more possessions between the arcs) is just as teams are trialling things and getting used to things and it will work itself out, I've got no doubt about that."

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