PORT Adelaide spearhead Charlie Dixon is a "strong chance" to make his long-awaited return from a badly broken leg in Saturday night's clash with ladder leaders Geelong at Adelaide Oval.
The Power will also regain co-captain Ollie Wines (leg) and veteran Brad Ebert (concussion), but star midfielder Tom Rockliff will miss a third straight game with a hamstring injury.
Dixon was sidelined for 10 months after breaking his leg and sustaining ankle damage against West Coast in August last year.
PORT'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE Full match preview of Power v Cats
The 200cm, 105kg key forward has played the past two games in the SANFL, kicking eight goals, but the decision will be whether he has the match conditioning after such a long absence to get up and down the ground against a dynamic Cats backline.
"Charlie, Ollie and 'Ebo' are obviously in our best 22 players, so it's not a matter of if they come back, it's when," Power senior assistant coach Michael Voss told reporters on Tuesday.
"Charlie's probably a little bit different to the other two in that he's had a bit more limited preparation, so that will get discussed, but I'd say it's a fairly strong chance he'll come back.
"He certainly can't become one dimensional all of a sudden, so the expectation is that he gets up and down the ground like any other forward.
"He certainly looks fantastic in what he's been able to do and he's had parts of his games in the (SANFL) Magpies where he's got up the field and parked himself a little deeper.
"We'll expect both if he plays this week."
Play was stopped after injuries to Charlie Dixon and Dan Houston.#AFLPowerEagles, pic.twitter.com/L5i2K4ttda
— AFL (@AFL) August 11, 2018
Wines has also played the past two weeks in the SANFL after missing five weeks with a small fracture in his leg, while Ebert was out for a month with ongoing concussion symptoms before being cleared to return in the SANFL last weekend.
Rockliff hasn't played since injuring his hamstring in the round 10 loss to Hawthorn.
He travelled to China for the game against St Kilda in round 11, but Voss didn't believe the long-haul trip had impacted his recovery time.
"I don't think so, because a lot of it is symptoms-based," Voss said.
"He's had a lot of really minor reporting, so it's been felt that it's been manageable.
"As it's been stepped up, he hasn't been able to compete the full amount that's required."
Voss was hopeful Rockliff would be right for next week's clash with the Western Bulldogs.
Vice-captain Hamish Hartlett and star midfielder/forward Robbie Gray didn't train on Tuesday, but Voss said that was part of their usual load management.