ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights yesterday expressed his disappointment at comments made by the club's chairman Ray Horsburgh about two senior Bombers, adding it would be "utopia" if he refrained from making comments about on-field issues.

Media reports yesterday quoted the Bombers chairman as saying premiership player Jason Johnson and teammate Damien Peverill had been told by Knights to expect limited opportunity at senior level so that he could blood younger players.

While Knights admitted he had told the players it would be tough for them to regain a spot in the side, he added he was disappointed that Horsburgh made the matter public.

"I'm disappointed the way it has played out, particularly for Jason and Pev because they've been fantastic, superb players for this footy club," Knights said.

"Obviously Ray, as chairman of the footy club, holds a really strong and powerful position and at times he's going to need to speak on behalf of the footy club. I guess it is just, when I go to the board, we'll speak about what and how and just try and do it next time and that's what we've got to do — we have got to do it better."

When asked if it would be in the club's best interest for Horsburgh to avoid making comments about the playing group, Knights said: "I think that would be utopia, there's no doubt about that."

He added he will raise the issue at the club's next board meeting. "What I will do at the next board meeting, I will raise the scenario, do it through the right manner and the right channels.

"I'm disappointed for Jason and Pev because the way it has played out is not fair and it probably hasn't been great for them."

Peverill, who fractured his jaw playing for Essendon's VFL affiliate Bendigo in late April, and 30-year-old Johnson have both managed just two matches, but Knights said their careers are not over.

"No, I don't think players' careers are on the line," Knights said. "We won't be making any judgements on players' careers until the end of the year. Until I've seen a full season of players."

He added the club will use all of its draft picks at the end of the season and denied he would be aggressively trading as suggested by Horsburgh.

"As a club we will look to add to our list with more youth this year at the draft. So I wouldn't have thought we'd be trading aggressively.

"If an opportunity came up to bring a player into the football club that was a bit more of a mature age that could really help our list we would look at it."

When asked if his philosophy contradicts Horsburgh's, Knights said: "Possibly what Ray may have been referring to is that last year we had probably eight changes on our list. I guess Ray would see that as being aggressive."

Essendon's long injury list is set to get shorter with Knights indicating many players — including Mark McVeigh and Dustin Fletcher — might be available for selection this week.

He said as many as seven players could be available for selection but added they will all need to get through the club's main training session today. Jobe Watson could be in some doubt for the match against Sydney. The midfielder did not complete training yesterday.