Matthew Knights has not ruled out the possibility of elevating more players off the rookie list as Essendon seeks to overturn a wretched run with injuries.
Andrew Welsh, Angus Monfries and Jay Neagle were all further casualties during the Bombers' four-point loss to Richmond on Saturday, putting more pressure on an already-stretched senior list.
Veteran full-back Dustin Fletcher was a late withdrawal before the game after pulling up sore on Friday with a swollen ankle.
Welsh, one of the Bombers' best players this year, left the field late in the first term with concussion, while Monfries was carried from the ground with an ankle injury midway through the second quarter. Neagle also limped off after half-time with an ankle problem.
None of them reappeared, leaving Essendon with just one fit player on the bench for the majority of the second half.
The Bombers had just 27 players to choose from this weekend, with the likes of Mark McVeigh (3-5 weeks), David Myers (three), Jason Johnson (three), Courtenay Dempsey (two) and Bachar Houli (two) already on the sidelines.
Asked if he'll have enough fit men for next week's blockbuster against Collingwood at the MCG, Knights replied: "I'm sure we'll find 22."
"If we have to play guys off the rookie list then we will because it'll be good to give them exposure and to see whether they can cut it at AFL level."
"I knew it was going to go pear shape when our runner David Calthorpe went down with a calf (injury) in the first 10 minutes and it went downhill from then," Knights joked.
The Bomber coach praised his players for their composure under fire when down to just 19 fit men but was left to rue a number of missed opportunities during the first half.
"It was tough work. I thought in the first half when we did have 22 fit players we should have been better," Knights said.
"We didn't quite keep it in the forward line long enough, it was coming out too quickly. And we didn't take our opportunities when we should have in that first half. The second half with 19, I guess, was gallant and they certainly played better football with 19 rather than 22 which is not ideal."
"I said to the players post-game that … I don't care whether we're down to 16 or 17, when you're there to win the game with 10 minutes to go, that's a disappointing loss. When you're there to win it, (it is) no holds barred, you're there to get the chocolates and go all in."
"There were no excuses we were down to 19. That was a fact and we had to deal with it. Thankfully it didn't affect the players, they played admirably. They played their hearts out."
The loss all but rules out any possibility of Essendon competing in September action with the Bombers two games and percentage out of the eight.
"We were a fair way off the action even before today. I guess it makes it really difficult now from our perspective," he said.