West Coast No.1 draftee Willem Duursma is set to return from injury for a pivotal head-to-head battle against Carlton’s Jagga Smith, which could go a long way to deciding who wins this year’s Rising Star award.

Duurmsa missed the Eagles’ heartbreaking one-point defeat to North Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Saturday afternoon with a minor calf injury he sustained in the lead-up to the game.

The 18-year-old had played all 13 games prior to that for the Eagles, where he stamped himself as the equal favourite to claim the Ron Evans Medal alongside second-year Blues midfielder Smith.

They will go head-to-head for the first time after West Coast’s bye, when Carlton hosts the Eagles at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, June 27.

Duursma is averaging 19 touches and five marks in his maiden season and could become the first rising star winner for the Eagles in 30 years, following 1996 winner and eventual Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins.

Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said the club took a conservative approach to Duursma’s injury, given it was early in his promising career.

“Earlier in the week, he was a bit sore. If it was grand final day, he probably would’ve played,” he said.

“But he’s 18. He’s such a valuable asset to us. He was gutted to miss, but it just wasn’t quite worth the risk. We’re confident he’ll be back after the bye.”

Duursma isn’t the only midfielder set to return for West Coast after the break, with Jack Graham in line to play his first game in more than two months.

Graham had shoulder surgery after he injured it in the round five defeat to Geelong at Norwood Oval, but has been listed to make his comeback against the Blues alongside pressure forward Jack Hutchinson, who has battled a hamstring injury.

The return of Graham and Duursma is likely to force a midfield squeeze that could once again see out-of-contract Eagle Elijah Hewett fall out of favour.

Hewett played his first game since round eight on Saturday and showed promising signs as part of a midfield rotation alongside Harley Reid, Tim Kelly, Elliot Yeo and tagger Brady Hough.

The first-round draftee had 16 touches and two clearances in his first full game in the middle, having played four matches earlier this year as a forward.

It came on the back of a solid month of form for the 22-year-old in the WAFL to force his way back into the AFL side.