Elliot Yeo has detailed the ups and downs of a lengthy rehabilitation from osteitis pubis, with the star midfielder riding a “rollercoaster of emotions” during his recovery.

Yeo has been sidelined since West Coast’s round 11 win over Carlton last August, and the dual club champion is still dealing with some groin soreness in his gradual build back to playing football.

However, the Eagles expect Yeo will be available in the early stages of the season and the 27-year-old is making progress. 

“I’m going OK. I guess the hard part with my injury is that it’s not like a normal (injury). It’s not like a broken bone or it’s not like, touch wood, a knee (reconstruction) or anything like that where they can give a certain time,” Yeo told 96FM.

“Mine goes purely on whenever you feel good. Being a bone stress injury I guess that’s the hard part and that’s the nature of it, it’s literally week to week.

“Continually testing it, testing your threshold and seeing where you can get to, and then obviously if you get a bit sore then you drop off and go again the next week.

“It’s basically just a rollercoaster ride.”

Yeo, 27, is yet to join the main training group this pre-season but has been getting through a power of running around the boundary line at Mineral Resources Park.

“There’s weeks there where you think ‘I’m flying, I’m back, I’ll be back in a couple of weeks’ and then you get a bit sore again and then you go ‘oh no’ and you’re down in the pits and you’re thinking ‘oh no, I’m a fair bit off’,” Yeo revealed.

“It’s literally a rollercoaster of emotions and it can get pretty frustrating at times. In the end you’ve just got to try and get through it and do your best as much as you can and get your body right.”

The Eagles will also be without another midfield gun this Sunday in the season-opener against Gold Coast at Optus Stadium after skipper Luke Shuey suffered a minor hamstring strain at training last Friday.

“Obviously he’s our captain but as a midfield group as well he’s one of our main driving factors in terms of getting everyone set up and being organised,” Yeo said.

“He’s a big out, no doubt, but also we’ve got personnel in there as well who can easily fill that void.

“I’m going in this week pretty confident, but also Gold Coast they got us last time and we were kind of embarrassed last time as well. They’re extremely talented.”

In better news, smooth-mover Tim Kelly will return from a thumb complaint against the Suns, while the absence of two midfield stars will open opportunity for others.

Promising youngster Xavier O’Neill is in line for on-ball time following a strong showing in the AAMI Community Series, while premiership defender Liam Duggan enjoyed an excellent summer training in the engine room.

"It’s looking like he’ll (Duggan) probably shift into the midfield at the moment,” Yeo said.

“He’s shown all the signs that he’s going to fill that void as well for a few players out.”