COLLINGWOOD is set to welcome back Darcy Cameron and Brody Mihocek for its blockbuster clash against Port Adelaide, but Jordan De Goey missed training due to illness.

De Goey was kept away from the Magpies' training session on Thursday, two days out from the Adelaide Oval contest.

But Collingwood coach Craig McRae expects the explosive midfielder to play as the competition's two leading premiership fancies lock horns.

"The latest is he's viral, so like all our players who are a little bit sick we just don't want him in the rooms," McRae told reporters on Thursday.

"He'll train off-site somewhere today ... he's going to do some work away from the club.

"We're anticipating he'll be here tomorrow and travel with us."

Cameron (back) and Mihocek (hamstring) trained well on Thursday to prove their fitness, with McRae declaring "it would be hard to leave those two out".

Their returns will put a squeeze on talls at the selection table, with Mason Cox, Daniel McStay, Ash Johnson and Billy Frampton all in the mix after playing in last week's thrashing of Fremantle.

Collingwood, the outright premiership favourite, sits a game clear on top of the ladder and belted Port Adelaide by 71 points in their most recent meeting – at the MCG in round two.

But McRae declared the Power the "best team in the competition for 14 or 15 weeks" and expects Ken Hinkley's side to rebound strongly after a slip-up against Carlton last round.

"They're a proud club, there's still a lot to play for in the season and they'll get some key players back," McRae said.

"A little bit of a sting at this time is not the end of the world.

"We're anticipating they're going to bring every bit of their best."

A huge crowd will be on hand at Adelaide Oval in a possible Grand Final preview and McRae was happy to buy into the hype.

"Why would you play this game down? This is one of the best games that you'll see this year in terms of the opportunity to show what you're made of," McRae said.

"We're going to step into that. It's a tough draw to go over there and play them at their home ground but it is what it is.

"You embrace it all and then it's all about the process. We're trying to get better every day and this is another opportunity to see how we're going."