BOX HILL Hawks have regained three important Hawthorn-listed players for Saturday's must-win clash against Footscray Bulldogs at Whitten Oval.

Defender Angus Litherland returns to the side after being the held-over emergency for Hawthorn's win against Richmond last week, while draftee Ryan Burton and fellow key position player Jack Fitzpatrick also come back into the team.

Burton will be playing his first game since mid-April, when he underwent knee surgery, while Fitzpatrick is back for his first game since mid-May, when he suffered concussion in a VFL match against Werribee.

The Hawks need to win this match to have a chance of playing finals.

With five games remaining in the season, the Hawks sit two games behind eighth-placed Essendon, and three games behind the seventh-placed Bulldogs.

It's essentially an eight-point game for Marco Bello's charges, who have a tough run home with games to follow against Werribee, followed by three top-four sides in Sandringham, Collingwood and Casey Scorpions.