PORT Adelaide rates star forward Justin Westhoff better than a 50 per cent chance to face the Sydney Swans on Saturday night, despite watching Friday's training session on crutches.
Westhoff sprained his ankle at training on Wednesday evening and will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness.
Power coach Ken Hinkley said that although Westhoff didn't train on Friday he had shown enough since Wednesday's mishap to offer hope he'll take his place in the side.
"As I stand here right now I'd say he's better than 50/50 to play…the crutches are just a thing that we've got to keep the weight off as long as we possibly can," Hinkley said.
"His comment to me just before was that he's 80/20 playing.
"We've done stuff indoors that we're reasonably comfortable that he's going to give himself a chance…it was a pretty simple ankle sprain and it swelled up quite quickly.
"It's just a matter of getting that swelling out because the pain is something we can manage.
"If there is a risk, [we’ll do as] we’ve always done it, we just won't play him."
The Power's fight against what Hinkley described as the "most talented forward line in the competition" will be helped by the return of Jackson Trengove from his ankle injury.
He'll join Alipate Carlile and Jack Hombsch as the club's key defenders, but Hinkley predicated the trio would need significant help if they were to contain the likes of Lance Franklin, Kurt Tippett, Sam Reid and Adam Goodes.
"It's going to get a solid test – there's no doubt about that – but that's the exciting part," he said.
"You get to play against clearly the most talented forward line in the competition, I think everyone would nearly agree.
"That's going to be a significant challenge and it is going to be about team defence, because our defenders, one on one, are going to find it tough at times.
"If we can get some pressure on the midfield and our forwards are helping with that sort of pressure…if you don’t do that you get in trouble."
Port was joined on Adelaide Oval on Friday morning by Team China, who landed in Adelaide at 5am from Hong Kong for the AFL International Cup, which starts on Sunday.
The Power are the side's host major sponsor.
Pooled in what he labeled the "group of death" alongside Canada, New Zealand and Finland, China's playing coach Jamie Pi said his teammates would learn as much as they could from watching the Power tackle the Swans.
Pi also asked Hinkley for some tactical advice to compliment his simplistic message of "kick and run boys, kick and run – try to avoid contact".
Unfortunately for China, Hinkley offered an even simpler message.
"Outscore the opposition," he laughed
Westhoff better than 50/50 chance to play
Justin Westhoff is a better than a 50 per cent chance to face the Sydney Swans on Saturday night according to Ken Hinkley