WEST Coast spearhead Josh Kennedy needs a "miracle" to prove his fitness for Thursday night's huge home game against Geelong, according to coach Adam Simpson.
The dual Coleman medallist strained his calf two weeks ago and has been pushing for an earlier-than-expected return to face the Cats, who will be without their suspended power forward Tom Hawkins.
But Kennedy failed to train on Monday night and is extremely unlikely to be risked.
"I don't think Josh will get up," Simpson told 6PR.
"He's probably not going to get up unless there's some sort of miracle in the next couple of days.
"We need to see him train."
Defender Sharrod Wellingham was on the track on Monday and will be available after missing the past two games with a sore ankle.
However, Simpson poured cold water on ruckman Scott Lycett's chances of a recall after one match back for East Perth after major shoulder surgery.
"Scott played 60-odd minutes (last Monday), he got a bit of a cut on his knee, and we'll see how he pulls up," Simpson said.
"These guys are coming back in drip-feeds, and to get them at their absolute best and back in for the long-term, we've just got to keep an eye on that we don’t rush those blokes back and perhaps give others opportunity if it's there."
Meanwhile, a decision whether to push ahead with star big man Nic Naitanui's bid to return from a knee reconstruction this season won't be made for several more weeks.
"He's making all the right noises and taking the right steps, so we want to give it a couple more weeks before we make a full decision," Simpson told Channel Seven.
"We know it's a seven-or-eight week pre-season he's got to undergo once he's fully up and available.
"There will come a time soon when we've got to make a call on it, but at the moment it's all heading in the right direction."
After three-straight losses before last round's bye, West Coast has slipped out of the top eight for the first time this season and Simpson forecast changes for the Cats clash.
The Eagles' finals hopes could hinge on a turnaround in form over the next month, with showdowns against Melbourne (home), the Western Bulldogs (away) and Port Adelaide (home) looming before the second Western Derby at Domain Stadium.
"We know we've got a tough run coming up. We've got Geelong this Thursday night and if ever there's an audit, it's this week," Simpson said.
"Let's get this week underway and see how we go."
