Adelaide confident with key defender Daniel Talia but have lost fellow back man Kyle Hartigan

CROWS defender Daniel Talia resumes - even with a fractured shin - as Adelaide faces another shuffle with its defence for the away clash with Brisbane

CROWS key defender Daniel Talia will carry a fractured shin in Adelaide’s must-win away clash with a resurgent Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night as coach Don Pyke is forced into another reshuffle of his back six.

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Talia will work a defensive tandem with cricket convert Alex Keath as his regular partner in defence, Kyle Hartigan, moves into the busy medical rooms at West Lakes.

While Hartigan is being treated for minor knee soreness, versatile forward - and potential defender - Mitch McGovern will make a direct return to the AFL after two months on the sidelines with an ankle injury. He immediately replaces suspended captain and key forward Taylor Walker.

The return of Talia and McGovern, ahead of first-year forward Darcy Fogarty, answer the two forced changes to the Adelaide line-up that beat Geelong at Adelaide Oval last Thursday to keep alive the Crows’ tightrope hopes of reaching the AFL top-eight finals in September.

Talia resumes after missing the win against the Cats with a foot injury - and after suffering a hit to a shin in training earlier this week.

Crows senior assistant Scott Camporeale has declared: “We’re confident in ‘Tals’.”

“We’ve covered off everything we needed to cover off from a medical point of view,” Camporeale said. “Daniel’s done all the training this week. He’s still got another session (Friday), but we’re really comfortable to pick him and he’s ready to play.”

The Crows have not declared how much time Hartigan, who struggled against the Cats, will spend on the sidelines.

Daniel Talia trains with the Crows on Wednesday. Picture: SARAH REED

McGovern has not played since the mid-May Showdown loss to Port Adelaide - and resumes without a test in the SANFL.

“The last couple of weeks Mitch has done everything we’ve asked of him in terms of his high speed and (workload) in the legs,” Camporeale said.

“He is really important player to our structure and our forward line - we’ve obviously really missed ‘Gov’.”

Eleventh-ranked Adelaide is expected to return in front of the win-loss count at 9-8 by beating the Lions. But the Crows, with a relatively inferior percentage compared with its rivals, might still need to win all of its remaining six home-and-away matches to qualify for a fourth consecutive finals series.

BRISBANE (4-12) is unchanged as coach Chris Fagan rewards the players who have completed a three-game winning streak for the first time in five years. This keeps Hawthorn recruit Luke Hodge on the outer.

Robbie Gray has been named by the Power despite suffering a concussion last weekend. Picture: Getty Images

PORT ADELAIDE (11-5) will confirm its 22 on Friday evening with forward-midfielder Robbie Gray still in contention to play Greater Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Gray, concussed in the third term of the nine-point loss to Fremantle at Perth Stadium on Sunday, is in the Power’s 26-man squad that has gained Jarrod Leinert, experienced defender Jasper Pittard, Melbourne recruit Jack Trengove, untried midfielder Kane Farrell and forward Aidyn Johnson.

Leinert, a rookie-listed player claimed from SANFL club Sturt, is closer to his AFL debut.

The Power has lost All-Australian ruckman Patrick Ryder (left hip flexor) who remains on a weekly watch with a strain that could keep him out of action for a month.

Seventh-placed GWS (9-6-1) also has a 26-man squad that will be trimmed to the match 22 today/Friday. Coach Leon Cameron has up for consideration Brett Deledio, Daniel Lloyd, Lachlan Keeffe, Matt Buntine and Aiden Bonar.