Whatever is going wrong inside the heads of Port Adelaide's pathologically inconsistent players, the question has been momentarily overtaken by the matter of having 22 fit men for Sunday's MCG date with Collingwood.

The Power's 55-point battering at the hands of Sydney, and its 100-lap swimming aftermath, left a sore bunch of players who were in several cases unable to complete a full week of training.

Forwards Robbie Gray and Daniel Motlop in particular were required to do a little more than usual on Friday to make up for virtual non-attendance on Wednesday, while an out-of-form Chad Cornes has tiptoed through the week.

Also added to the mix is Port's awareness of Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse and his penchant for springing a late change.

"You can't take too many (underdone players) and what the number is I'm not too sure," said Power coach Mark Williams.

"I can guarantee that no club goes in 100 per cent fully fit with every player, so everyone takes those little chances.

"I think two weeks ago when (Warren Tredrea) kicked seven (against Richmond) the doctors, as he came off the ground for the first warm-up, said `I don't think he'll play, get Marlon ready to play'.

"Then he kicked seven so you take those chances all the time and sometimes you get them right and most of the times we do."

Williams admitted to some frustration at the small turn-out to his main training session midweek.

"There's no doubt about that. It's challenging, but you know a lot of our senior players are older and they've been through a lot of games and a lot of experience," he said.

"(It is about) trust and their experience of handling a smaller injury to be able to get through the game is what you go with."

The future of veteran Josh Carr was again called into some question by his demotion from the side beaten by the Swans, but Williams explained it had been a matter of balance.

"He got a game from probably nowhere last week," he said.

"He played one game and then had a game off and then there was an opportunity to play in Sydney (as) it looked like it was going to be pouring with rain up there.

"We thought a smaller ground against that sort of competition would probably best suit him.

"This week it's entirely different - that's why he's not playing but he wasn't the worst player on the ground and I'd imagine he'd play a week or two in the SANFL to get his real confidence up before we look at him again."

Port have recalled David Rodan and Nathan Krakouer for Carr and Marlon Motlop.

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