Essendon coach Matthew Knights says his side will enter Sunday's AFL clash with St Kilda without fear and with a belief they can end the Saints' unbeaten streak.

Knights said the Bombers respected the league pacesetters' achievements this season, including downing reigning premiers Hawthorn while severely undermanned last round.

But despite expecting the Saints to be back close to full strength, with a large group of stars tipped to return, Knights said that would not daunt his youthful team.

"We're not going in saying `Well, we're playing the top-placed team', we're going in to win the game, as we should," Knights said.

He said the Bombers' bigger concern this season had been maintaining their intensity against lowlier opposition, with damaging recent losses to Richmond and West Coast.

Boosting the Bombers' confidence is the memory of their competitive performance against the Saints in round eight.

Down by 28 points at the first change, they outscored them in each of the last three quarters to fall 19 points short.

"This group has a belief that they can match it and our challenge is doing it over four quarters," he said.

They will probably have to do so without captain Matthew Lloyd (heel) and running player Jason Winderlich (back), both set to miss a third straight match.

But midfielders Andrew Lovett and Andrew Welsh and ruckman Tom Bellchambers will all be available for selection.

Knights said Lloyd and Winderlich would be assessed at training, but the club would take no risks.

"They're probably more unlikely than likely at this stage," he said.

While Winderlich has a history of back injuries, which had threatened his career before this season, Knights said the latest complaint was unrelated and not expected to be a long-term issue.

Even if Lloyd does return, the club is likely to keep faith with young key forwards Jay Neagle and Michael Hurley, who both showed promise in last round's draw against Brisbane.

Meanwhile, the Bombers have signed 16-year-old Papua New Guinean native David Meli on a two-year international scholarship.

Meli, currently playing with Southport on the Gold Coast, is described by Bombers' recruiting manager Adrian Dodoro as having "exceptional skills on both sides of his body".

Essendon have the option of elevating him to their senior list at the end of 2010 or 2011.

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