Matthew Boyd has been named to face the West Coast Eagles on Sunday afternoon, one of five inclusions to the Western Bulldogs' extended squad.
The Bulldogs captain has been absent from the Dogs' past three outings, sidelined by a fractured cheekbone.
View the full team list against West Coast Eagles here.
Speaking to BulldogsTV, Assistant Coach Shannon Grant says Boyd's experience will be important against the powerful Eagles midfield.
“Great to see our skipper back into the side, he’s been training exceptionally well out on the track all week, so we certainly welcome him.”
The Bulldogs' 2012 top draft pick Jake Stringer has been named on an extended bench, and will bring some added grunt to Dogs' forward half if named.
VFL form has also continued to be rewarded with Tom Young, Christian Howard and Mark Austin in the mix to counter the strong Eagles forward line.
Nathan Hrovat will miss due to general soreness, while Brett Goodes has been ruled out for the season after fracturing his arm against Hawthorn.
The Western Bulldogs will go head to head with the West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium from 3:15pm on Sunday, with final sides announced 5:00pm Friday.
