COLLINGWOOD will be strengthened by the return of matchwinner Jordan De Goey but will again be without star trio Taylor Adams, Mason Cox and Darcy Moore for the clash with Sydney at the SCG on Friday night.

The Pies have also lost versatile defender Tom Langdon, who could face surgery after sustaining a right knee injury.

De Goey will be a welcome inclusion after missing the win over St Kilda on Saturday as the Pies manage his shin problem, while Adams remains a chance to make a rapid comeback from an adductor injury.

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Adams, who has missed just two games, completed most of the session at Olympic Park Oval on Wednesday morning but left the track and didn't return for match simulation with the senior group.

Pies coach Nathan Buckley, when facing reporters after training, still rated Adams a chance to take on the Swans, but Adams soon tweeted: "After a more than optimistic few days of recovery, just fell short out on the track today."

Meanwhile, Langdon is some weeks away from returning after coming to grief in the first quarter on Saturday, with the Pies unsure of the extent of what is believed to be a cartilage issue.

"We're still working that out. We're getting some opinions from the medical fraternity. He's had some issues with that knee before. We're still working out exactly what it is, but it's problematic," Buckley said.

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"It's probably going to be at least a couple of weeks whilst we work out how it reacts to load. He couldn't load-bear on it by the end of the game and it blew up quite considerably.

"Talking to Langers today, he's disappointed, he's concerned about it. We need to find out a bit more about the injury before we know exactly how we're going to approach it – whether he needs surgery or whether it's just rest."

Buckley said Cox, who "looked pretty good" on the track, was close to returning from his syndesmosis injury, while Moore's ankle ailment was "not major". Moore was a no-show on Wednesday.

Veteran Magpie runner Travis Varcoe will also be sidelined with a one-game suspension.

With Adams ruled out, it provides an opportunity for someone to be promoted from the VFL, including midfielders Daniel Wells, Josh Daicos, Ben Crocker and Brayden Sier.

Dashing defender Isaac Quaynor could also be in the running to make his AFL debut. When Collingwood lost Langdon against St Kilda, adaptable runner Chris Mayne was moved to defence, but Buckley said the Pies preferred to use Mayne on a wing.

Moore would have been an ideal match-up for Sydney superstar Lance Franklin, who could return from a hamstring injury, but the Pies could hand the big job to Jeremy Howe.

In their past four outings, the Woods have been beaten in clearances and centre clearances, but Buckley was comfortable that his team was outscoring the opposition from stoppages and was defending well. However, he was keen to capitalise on Brodie Grundy's ruck dominance.