PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has confirmed youngster Zak Butters will be recalled for Sunday's encounter with Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval.
It will be one of up to four changes for the Power in the wake of last weekend's 20-point loss to Adelaide in Showdown 46.
Star forward Robbie Gray will miss a third straight game with a broken hand, along with knee and shoulder issues.
Forward/ruck Billy Frampton will be in the extended squad of 26 and could be recalled to play in as a key target in attack with Dougal Howard to remain in defence.
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Butters – the 12th overall pick in last year's NAB AFL Draft – played the first seven games of the season before being dropped for the Showdown.
The 18-year-old didn't play any football last weekend with Port Adelaide having a bye in the SANFL.
"Zak's going to play," Hinkley told reporters on Thursday.
"His workload's not an issue, it's just making sure he's got a bit of bounce back in himself.
Zak's a really harsh critic of himself and he's got to learn to deal with some of that himself over the journey.
"Sometimes you can wear yourself out with your own stress, and giving him a week away from that was a good thing."
Hinkley said defenders Trent McKenzie and Joel Garner – who could come into the side as a replacement for Ryan Burton, who will miss up to a month with a hamstring strain – and midfielder Joe Atley, would also be in the extended squad.
Gray will be given another week to recover with the aim of returning against Hawthorn in round 10.
"You could nearly put him out there, but because he's dealt with a couple of things we just feel like taking the extra week with him is the right thing to do, otherwise we'd be rushing him a little bit ahead of schedule," Hinkley said.
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"If you want to put shoulder, knee and hand together, you've got the trifecta."
The Power are waiting for the results of scans before knowing how long veteran Brad Ebert will be out with concussion symptoms.
Ebert flew to Melbourne on Wednesday to meet with a neurologist.
"This is being cautious as a football club with how we handle anything that goes along with a head knock," Hinkley said.
"That's the really important part for us to understand.
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"When we get all that information, we'll have better information for everyone."
The Power have a lengthy injury list, with Burton, Gray and Ebert joining co-captains Tom Jonas, Ollie Wines, key forward Charlie Dixon, vice-captain Hamish Hartlett and utility Jack Watts on the sidelines.
"We've probably got eight of our best 10 or 12 players unavailable, but we'll be OK," Hinkley said.
"We get to produce opportunities for people who are underneath, who at times have been struggling to get their opportunities.
"There's always some good stuff that comes from injuries.
"That's what we look at, the positives, we get to see young people play."
