Star West Coast on-baller Daniel Kerr is battling a mystery soreness and is in doubt for Sunday's David and Goliath battle with AFL ladder-leaders St Kilda at Subiaco Oval.

And Eagles ruckman Dean Cox is no certainty to return from a niggling groin complaint to lead the ruck against former teammate Michael Gardiner.

Kerr missed last week's loss to Melbourne due to what the club listed as general soreness but Eagles coach John Worsfold was at pains to reveal what the actual problem was.

When asked whether Kerr would be fit to take on the Saints, Worsfold said: "Can't answer that yet.

"He has carried into this season quite a few sore spots.

"They just all ganged up on him.

"I spoke to him last Thursday morning and he was feeling good and by the end of the training session he was ruled out of the side.

"He thought he would get through training, thought he was feeling good and by the end of training he said 'no, I'm not as good as I thought I was'."

Cox was told to stay at home on Monday as he battled a virus but made his way out onto the training track on Tuesday morning, along with Kerr, for a light skills session.

The four-times All-Australian has been sidelined with a groin injury since June 13 and Worsfold was more hopeful than confident the big man would be available this weekend.

"We don't want to aggravate it," Worsfold said.

"We don't want to play him for a game and have him miss the next two or three."

The Eagles' makeshift ruck pairing of Quinten Lynch and Nic Naitanui was badly exposed by Melbourne's Mark Jamar last week, with the Demons winning the hit-outs 45-24.

Gardiner, fresh from his match-winning four-goal haul against Geelong, will be desperate to rub salt into the wound of his former side.

West Coast discarded the injury-plagued 30-year-old at the end of 2006 after one too many off-field misdemeanours but Gardiner has returned with a bang this year after finally getting his body right.

"It's a great story and it's good to see him looking so fit," Worsfold said of his former charge.

"I think he'd almost lost faith in his body getting back up to AFL fitness standard and he's still only young.

"He's a very good footballer, an All-Australian ruckman, and he's now back to what looks like full fitness."

Meanwhile, Eagles premiership defender Adam Hunter has been ruled out for the next four weeks after undergoing another round of surgery on his troublesome shoulder.

But Worsfold said Ashley Hansen was a good chance to return to the senior side after booting five goals in the WAFL last week.

"He's a premiership player and I believe he still offers this team a lot when he's in his best form," Worsfold said.

Defender Eric Mackenzie is also a chance to return to help skipper Darren Glass contain St Kilda's twin towers Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke, while Mark Nicoski and ruckman Mark Seaby are others in line for a recall.

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