Sam Durham, Zach Merrett, Jye Caldwell and Darcy Parish.
Is there room for Dylan Shiel, Archie Perkins and Will Setterfield in the midfield?
Essendon coach Brad Scott thinks the pressure for spots is "a great problem to have" as the club will welcome back the injured trio over the coming weeks.
Shiel is the first cab off the rank, with a week of training the last box to be ticked before becoming available for senior selection.
The former Giant featured in the VFL across the weekend, showing "encouraging" signs but Scott admitted he won't be pushed in.
"We'd love to have him back in our side but I always take the view, that we want him back for good. We don't want him back less than 100 per cent," Scott said on Tuesday.
"He'll do full training today, we'll make a decision but in terms of medically, he's available."
Fellow midfielders Perkins and Setterfield are bound to put pressure on selection but will require a few more weeks to return from injury.
"I think the question becomes more when they're all available what it looks like.
"That'll be a great problem to have.
"Perkins is progressing really well, it's actually quite remarkable how much he's able to do after a reasonable (hamstring) strain.
"It's a matter of getting him into full training than being able to make an accurate assessment.
"I still suspect he'd take a number of weeks because we don't want a recurrence of that (but progressing well)."
Forward Matt Guelfi isn't far away in good news for Bombers fans.
"Guelfi still won't be available this week but hopeful for ANZAC Day."
However, Scott made clear that older players won't be phased out and that the 23 will be picked based on form and what the opposition presents.
"I expect players to have the attitude to set themselves up to play the best football of their career," the Essendon coach said.
"I think a good example of that is Dyson Heppell, who a lot of people thought was coming to the end of his career.
"We don't have players at our club who are here to play VFL footy. They are here to play AFL.
"Dylan is a thorough professional and a supreme athlete and at his best, he is a real asset for us.
"There's no discussion about transition or playing a different role."
Despite the demolition at the hand of Port Adelaide a fortnight ago, Essendon's midfield production in 2024 has been impressive.
The combination of Todd Goldstein and Sam Draper has given a different look that demands a lot from the opposition while the emergence of Durham and Perkins as genuine midfielders looks viable for the long-term.
Compounded by the efforts of captain Zach Merrett and Jye Caldwell, Bombers fans would be pleased with the middle third of the ground.
But as Scott said, not all of their midfielders have been available at the same time.
And although the squeeze might present as a "great problem to have", it can force players featuring in unfamiliar positions, resulting inย a spate of confusion and disconnection throughout all lines.
Think of the Western Bulldogs...
