THE WESTERN Bulldogs could rest a number of players for their NAB Cup opener against the Brisbane Lions, with the availability of recruit Barry Hall, captain Brad Johnson, Nathan Eagleton and Jason Akermanis to be decided in the week leading into the game.

Assistant coach Peter Dean indicated each of the veterans would be fit for the Canberra clash on February 14, although Eagleton will have to first overcome a knee arthroscopy performed last Friday.

"Our 30-plus year-olds we have a question mark over," he said.

"They'll be up and going, ready to play, but it's a coaching decision. The 30-year-olds are more realistic for round one but they're as keen as mustard."

Hall, Shaun Higgins and Ben Hudson all left the track early into Friday's physical session at Whitten Oval.

Higgins walked off after reaching for his left hamstring, Hudson limped to the rooms favouring his left side and Hall did little more than have a brief chat with club doctor Jake Landsberger.

However, Dean said the trio was merely being cautious.

"The boys have had a big workload so they've been told if they can feel anything at all, come off the track," he said.

"Higgo has been very professional so I would say there's nothing wrong. It might just be a slight strain and he might not train for the rest of today's running or tomorrow's session.

"Huddo's had a really big pre-season and he's got a lot of young blokes breathing down his neck so he was going to have tomorrow off. He might have just been a little bit sore.

"[Hall] is coming along nicely, the way we want him to. He's probably feeling a couple of things after the ankle but it's probably him getting the confidence back."

Hall was also sporting a black eye, inflicted by the former Swan's weights partner James Mulligan.

"Mulls went to spoil a ball and Bazza's marked and there was a late punch to the head that drew a bit of blood. It was a pretty fearsome match practice on Tuesday," Dean said.

"The boys have been ribbing him a bit on that. It's a good little competition and James is going to be benefit by Barry being here."

Stephen Tiller and Sam Reid are likely to be unavailable as they both continue their recovery from groin surgery while new recruit Christian Howard is still in rehabilitation after a recent hip operation.

Ruckman Will Minson is unlikely to figure in the pre-season competition, if at all, because of an ongoing toe problem.

"He's still in the rehab phase. He's probably a bit behind the eight-ball. He's going to have a solid four to five weeks," Dean said.

"We'd like him to be a bit more ahead than he is but Will is pretty diligent.

"He looks like he hasn't done a lot of distance running and when he's out here, he looks like he's struggling but his lungs are juts getting used to it.

"He's coming along the way we want him to given the circumstances he's been under."