PORT Adelaide veteran Warren Tredrea is on track to make a return from a serious ankle injury next month.

Tredrea had an artificial ligament inserted in his foot after badly damaging his ankle in the Power’s win over Essendon in round seven.

At the time, Tredrea conceded he might have played his last game for the club, but now appears set to add to his tally of 254 games with a late-season comeback.

The 31-year-old cast aside his moon boot a week ahead of schedule, and is also likely to start running earlier than expected.

Port Adelaide football operations manager Peter Rohde acknowledged the star goalkicker’s progress, but said the club would continue to take a conservative approach to his rehabilitation.

“'Tredders' is coming along pretty well. He can even jog lightly and he’s certainly walking around on the ankle. He’s started a fitness program, but he’s probably still eight weeks away from playing,” Rohde said.

“I wouldn’t want to build expectation too much, but we are expecting him to get back at some stage later in the year.”

The news is also good for a trio of Port Adelaide players with long-term injuries. Promising draftees John Butcher (back) and Andrew Moore (groin) are expected to play after the mid-season break, as is injury-ravaged defender Marlon Motlop (foot).

Butcher played in an internal trial with the Power in February, but was placed on the club’s long-term injury list before the start of the season after aggravating a pre-existing back injury.

Rohde said he was confident the prized No.8 draft pick could play some good football in the second half of the season.

“'Butch' has started some light running and was today doing some light skills, so he’s back on the road to recovery,” Rohde said.

“He’s probably still four weeks away from playing because he’s got to recondition himself, but in terms of his back, he’s had the all-clear to start stepping it up.”

Moore, 19, made his AFL debut in round one, but injured his groin playing for SANFL side North Adelaide last month. Rohde said Moore was also looking at a return in round 14 or 15.

“'Moorey' has started back jogging now, so he’ll build himself back up slowly in the next couple of weeks. He’s looking at a similar timeframe to John Butcher, and Marlon Motlop is probably the same. They’ll all play after the mid-year year break.”

Rohde also doused speculation suggesting that dashing half-back Nathan Krakouer is suffering from osteitis pubis. Krakouer has played just five games this season, but Rohde said the 22-year-old was suffering from an acute groin injury and not an ongoing one.

“Krak’s got a groin strain. He hasn’t got the synthesis pubis irritation or the bone irritation, which is what people commonly call osteitis pubis,” he said.

“He’s got a strain of the groin muscle, but he’s done it twice now so he’s going to be another couple of weeks away.”