West Coast forward Josh Kennedy has ruled himself out for the start of the AFL season, saying a round three return is the most likely outcome.

Kennedy underwent ankle surgery during the summer, but he only returned to full training recently.

The two-time Coleman medallist said he and the club will assess his progress over the coming weeks before deciding on a definitive return date.

“I’ve been back running since late January and obviously the last three weeks of training, which has been pretty good,” Kennedy told Fox Sports.

“This next few weeks I’ll progress and get back into some match simulation stuff.

“We’re probably looking at around round three I think, which is on target at the moment.

“Round three, hopefully round two maybe, but we’ll see how we go.”

West Coast host Geelong in round three at Optus Stadium.

Eagles youngster Jake Waterman, 19, is expected to replace Kennedy for the opening few rounds.

The absence of Kennedy for the round-one clash with Sydney and the round-two match against the Bulldogs is a big blow to the Eagles.

Ruckman Nic Naitanui could also miss the start of the season.

Naitanui made his return from a knee reconstruction via WAFL club East Perth on Saturday, but his game time was restricted and he may not be given the green light to face Sydney in round one.