Fremantle defender Alex Pearce and midfielder Caleb Serong will return from injury to line-up against Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

The duo will come into the side to replace omitted pair Griffin Logue and Neil Erasmus.

Meanwhile, small forward Lachie Schultz also comes out of last week’s team after entering the AFL’s health and safety protocols.

Bailey Banfield is also technically an inclusion into the starting 22 after being unused as the medical sub last week. 

Darcy Tucker, Erasmus and Logue boarded the plane to Melbourne on Friday as the travelling emergencies, with one of the trio to be named as the medical sub an hour before bouncedown. 

SEE HOW ESSENDON WILL LINE-UP HERE

Senior Coach Justin Longmuir flagged the return of Pearce in his media conference on Thursday, an important inclusion into the side to play on Essendon key forward Peter Wright.

The defender will again captain the side on Sunday in skipper Nat Fyfe’s absence.

“Pearcey’ was our captain (in rounds two and three) so if he’s fit, he’ll play,” Longmuir said on Thursday.

“I think he’s a really good matchup for Peter Wright, who’s clearly one of the in-form forwards in the competition, especially with his marking.

“We can change it around, we’ve also got Brennan Cox, he can play on the talls as well. ‘Pearcey’ is probably our preferred matchup just because of the sheer size of Wright.” 

Bouncedown for the game is at 4.40pm EST (2.40pm WST) and will be broadcast live on Channel 7 and Fox Footy, as well as streamed live on Kayo.

FREMANTLE TEAM
B: Brennan Cox, Alex Pearce, James Aish
HB: Hayden Young, Luke Ryan, Brandon Walker
C: Jordan Clark, Andy Brayshaw, Blake Acres
HF: Travis Colyer, Matt Taberner, Bailey Banfield
F: Michael Frederick, Rory Lobb, Michael Walters
R/Fol: Sean Darcy, Will Brodie, David Mundy
I: Sam Switkowski, Caleb Serong, Nathan O’Driscoll, Heath Chapman
E: Darcy Tucker, Neil Erasmus, Nathan Wilson, Griffin Logue

IN: Caleb Serong, Alex Pearce, Bailey Banfield
OUT: Griffin Logue, Lachie Schultz, Neil Erasmus

ESSENDON TEAM
B: Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Jayden Laverde, Jake Kelly
HB: Nick Hind, Jordan Ridley, Dyson Heppell (C)
C: Sam Durham, Andrew McGrath, Nic Martin
HF: Nik Cox, Alec Waterman, Archie Perkins
F: Devon Smith, Peter Wright, Matt Guelfi
I: Mason Redman, Dylan Shiel, Ben Hobbs, Sam Draper
E: Tom Cutler, Brayden Ham, Kaine Baldwin, Tex Wanganeen

In: Hobbs, Cox
Out: Snelling (calf), Wanganeen (omitted), Ham (omitted)

Last week's medical sub: Smith (replaced Snelling)