PORT ADELAIDE will be forced into at least one change for Thursday night’s clash with Melbourne with the injury to young forward Todd Marshall.

Defender Trent McKenzie will be pushing for a recall after missing the loss to St Kilda on Saturday because of back spasms in the lead up to the match.

He will need to prove his fitness by the club’s final training session to come into contention.

Ruckman Scott Lycett will also undergo a fitness test to determine if he has overcome a knee injury which has kept him out of the last two games.

Young forward Boyd Woodcock is edging closer to an AFL debut after again being named amongst the emergencies for the Saints game while Tobin Cox is another forward who could come into selection contention.

Experienced midfielder Tom Rockliff was among the better performers in a trial game against Adelaide on Saturday, picking up plenty of the ball, while assistant coach Nathan Bassett also praised the performances of Willem Drew and Joe Atley during the week.

Meanwhile if selectors opt to replace Marshall with a tall forward there is a chance former Geelong big man Wylie Buzza could be considered for a club debut.

Port Adelaide will on Wednesday evening name its side to tackle the Demons, with first bounce at the Gabba at 7:50pm local time / 7:20pm ACST on Thursday night.