Daylesford is banking on being back to full strength for the last five home and away rounds to set up a first Central Highlands Football League finals campaign since 2017.
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Bulldogs coach Hamish Jarrad is hopeful of having recruit Cam Lee back after the second full competition break on Saturday, July 6.
Lee has not played since breaking a collarbone in round two.
Jarrad said all being well Lee would be available for Daylesford's round 13 clash with Buninyong.
The second-placed Bulldogs also face Skipton and Newlyn in their run home to finals.
He said other players to be eased back over coming weeks after injury included Luke Said, Aaron Smith and Matt Peart.
Jarrad said unfortunately another recruit Matt Borzillo's season was over after he ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament.
Tall forward Tom Hunt is another to return after being unavailable for the Bulldogs' latest outing.
Daylesford faces giant-killer Carngham-Linton in the match of the round at Daylesford on Saturday.
The Saints are not too far off full-strength with Charlie Lloyd (ankle) and Miles Picken (concussion) their major concerns.
There is uncertainty as to how long Picken will be sidelined, while the movements of Queensland-based key forward Brad McDonald also remain up in the air.
BUNGAREE has one of the biggest lists of players to bring back from injury as it aims to build on a strong start to the season and confirm premiership favoritism.
The Demons have close to half their first-choice line-up to come back after various times out with injury.
They are expected to ease them back over the next four weeks in which they will only play twice owing to a round 10 bye and the next competition break two weeks after that.
Bungaree coach Ryan Waight has Ben Simpson, Ben Dodd, Joel Gallagher, Clay Bilney, Jackson Murphy, Lachlan Thornton, Max Lawless and Matt Geary ball itching to get back.
Simpson, Dodd and Gallagher have each missed three rounds, while Thornton has not been sighted since round four.
Murphy has missed just one game and Binley was also out for the loss to Carngham-Linton.
Lawless has been out of action since being concussed in round six, with last weekend's break coming at the right time to complete his compulsory time out.
Geary is yet to play this season.
Joel Richardson (wrist), John Butler (jaw) and Sam Mewett (hamstring) have also been monitored since losing to Carngham-Linton.
FIFTH-PLACED Buninyong is another side with sights locked on finals with a good number of players to bring back as the season turns for home.
Jesse Marshall, Dom Sliwa, Tyler Mookhoek, Matt Motlop, Ankin Lewis and Keelan Fejo are among those to return for the Bombers along with Jack Atkinson, who has not played since 2022.
Their next assignment is against the winless Springbank at Buninyong on Saturday.
Springbank is another desperately keen to get players back with the hope of an improved back half of the season.
The Tigers should get back Chris Quinlan, Justin Simpson, Keiran Maher, Shannon Donegan, Ashley Murnane and James Curran (shoulder), who is yet to play this season, at different stages.
Quinlan has played only three games and fellow veteran Justin Simpson one.
