Senior coach Rodney Eade is counting on an enhanced training program to have the third-placed Western Bulldogs primed for a testing final month of the home-and-away season.

Successive seven-day breaks have enabled the Bulldogs to factor in some additional running, boxing and swimming sessions ahead of crucial fixtures with West Coast, the Brisbane Lions, Geelong and Collingwood.

"We play eight out of nine at Etihad (Stadium) which is obviously draining on the legs a bit, so with our schedule we haven't had much time really to put extra work in," said Eade after Tuesday's training session at Whitten Oval.

"We think our fitness is very good anyway so we don't have to top up that much, but the two seven-day breaks going into these two weeks gives us the chance to do a little bit more, a little bit more intensively - but nothing too much."

"We've been aiming for a top-four spot, so that's where we're at - we've got some tough games in the next four weeks and we need to win a minimum of two or probably three of the next four."

"We've got a tough row and that's been our thoughts .... we're worried about the next few weeks starting with this week."

Eade said Robert Murphy and Scott Welsh would miss again this week because of hamstring and ankle injuries respectively, while Shaun Higgins is on schedule for a Round 21 comeback from his torn hamstring.

Daniel Giansiracusa, who's making good progress following knee surgery, has been pencilled in to return that same weekend for Williamstown in the VFL.

"'Murph' could play (this week) but with the problem he's had with the tendon in his knee we just think anther week's loading in a controlled environment will suit him better in the long-term as far as the finals campaign," said Eade.

Eade said rebounding defender Lindsay Gilbee was coping well with the death of his father on the eve of last Saturday's win over Fremantle and would be switched on for the Eagles on Saturday.

"It's just good for him to be around the players and to be able to actually train and run around rather than just sit at home thinking about it," Eade said of Gilbee.

"I think he's attacked that in the right way and that's been good."

Asked whether he would like the AFL to bring forward the club's Round 22 twilight clash with Collingwood scheduled for the final Sunday of the home-and-away season, to create a potentially longer break for both teams ahead of Week 1 of the finals, Eade said: "In an ideal world, that would be great for us".

"You get that extra day's break going into the finals series, but if we play on the Sunday, we play on the Sunday - that's OK."