Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr has revealed Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines will return the following week after being managed ahead of the Power's blockbuster clash against Collingwood.
Speaking at Friday's press conference, Carr said the club was taking a proactive approach to have Wines fresh for the run home.
"It's a bit of a plan with Ollie, he'll come in next week. That will happen," he said.
"We sort of want to get ahead of the curve a bit with him and have him ready for the Showdown (against Adelaide)."
Carr also confirmed that Wines' contract situation remains unresolved, with discussions set to continue in the second half of the year.
"Ollie wants time to think about it and obviously around his body and whether he thinks he can keep going," he said. "At this point he's just put it off until the end of the year and we'll have those discussions then."
Carr then indicated Wines' game management could continue for the rest of the season.
"We want the best out of Ollie, a fresh Ollie to be able to get into the contest and do his best work," he said. "We don't want to run him into the ground."
Meanwhile, Jack Lukosius is set to return to AFL level on the wing after building his form for Port Adelaide's SANFL team, the Magpies.
"We've been building towards this, and at some point you've got to bite the bullet and go for it, and we feel like this is the week to do that," he said.
"The impact (Lukosius) can have on the wing, the way he uses the footy and supports our defenders and then gets forward and still kicks goals from there."
The former Gold Coast Sun has previously enjoyed success at the MCG, something Carr believes can benefit Port Adelaide.
Carr also backed in swingman Todd Marshall, despite recent struggles.
"We feel (Marshall's) not far away from having a bigger impact on the game," he said. "He's important to our structure now, and playing on the MCG (he) gets an opportunity."
In positive injury news, Carr said that Sam Powell-Pepper is on the verge of a return after a lengthy rehabilitation.
"Peps' is going well," he said. "He's a really good chance to play a half of footy next week.
"It's pretty exciting for the footy club and exciting for him. He's worked extremely hard."
However, there is less certainty for defender Kane Farrell, who is out injured with a groin issue.
"(Farrell) got through the game with no problems and then pulled up poorly," he said.
"We've had to reassess what that looks like now. He'll have a week off this week. We're not sure what the long term plan looks like right now."
Carr also praised Darcy Byrne-Jones, who has had an impressive season.
"You just know what you're going to get with 'Darc'," he said
"His game last week was outstanding, one of his better ones this year, and if he can hold that form, we'll sign him for a 10-year deal."
Looking ahead to Saturday night's clash, Carr acknowledged the challenge posed by Collingwood.
"We know what their best players look like," he said. "They've got two Daicos boys in there. When you let those guys go, they can have a pretty big impact on the game."
Carr also embraced the showdown between Zak Butters and Nick Daicos.
"It's a great opportunity when you come up against the best and the best versus the best," he said. "We all like to see that."
The Port Adelaide coach expects a fierce contest between the two defensively strong teams.
"Both teams want to be hard to play against," he said. "Defensively we're getting stronger, but we've also got to build our ball movement."
Carr began the press conference by wishing Adelaide legend Tony Modra all the best after being hospitalised due to a freak car accident.
"It's devastating news to hear about it," he said. "Our thoughts as a football club are with Tony's family and himself and the Adelaide Football Club.
"He's had a massive impact on the community, so everyone's thinking of him but also the family."
