Port Adelaide is confident young forward Mitch Georgiades will be back on the field before the end of the home and away season after the Power tall hurt his quad at training this week.
The injury could see Georgiades only miss this weekend's trip to the MCG to face Melbourne, with the 22-year-old likely required to prove his fitness next week ahead of the club's Round 23 Showdown against the Crows.
Coach Ken Hinkley provided an update on his in-form forward, who has kicked a team-high 37 goals from 16 games in 2024.
"He just hurt his quad at training on Wednesday. Nothing too serious, but enough that will keep him out of this week and possibly next week," Hinkley said.
"Absolutely no doubt he's been in really good form, he's kicked a lot of goals for us. He's a big blow but we're lucky we've got Todd available to come back into the side.
"I suspect one, maybe two (matches he misses). Nobody is ever happy about injury, particularly when they're in really good form."
The timing of Georgiades' injury comes as Hinkley welcomes the return of fellow tall forward Todd Marshall, who has been named to play his first game since Round 18 after overcoming a hip injury.
With Marshall struggling to find his best form prior to the setback, Hinkley hopes the sharp-shooting forward can lead his attack against Melbourne and rekindle his best qualities in the front half on Saturday night.
"We didn't have to make a decision, which was easy. We're lucky we've got a player who's got real quality," Hinkley added.
"Todd's form has been a little up and down for him. His performance probably hasn't been at the level he'd have liked it to be at.
"But he also plays a very valuable role for us. It's easy to look at key forwards and look at the goals they kick sometimes. The reality is that you've got to look at more than that.
"They bring more to the team than just goals on the scoreboard, which we also like."
Marshall will line up alongside veteran Charlie Dixon this weekend but will also be accompanied by defender-turned-forward Esava Ratugolea in attack for the first time in 2024.
Ratugolea has been swung forward in recent weeks in Marshall's absence, with the ex-Cat booting three goals and averaging 5.5 marks per game across his two stints at the other end of the ground.
"I think it's pretty clear the last few weeks he's been pretty good there for us," Hinkley said of Ratugolea.ย "We lost Mitch, Todd comes back. I think we'll be pretty similar.
"We're pretty happy collectively with how the team has been playing, we've got to stay in that space. You don't tamper with it too much if it's going okay.
"Injuries aside, you tend to let people (in form) go again."
