Adelaide captain Rory Sloane and Port Adelaide champion Robbie Gray will both miss Friday night's AFL Showdown between the winless clubs.
Sloane has been ruled out by a groin injury while Gray, a five-time winner of the Showdown medal for best-field in games between the arch foes, is sidelined by COVID protocols.
The big blows for both teams come as Port reveal spearhead Charlie Dixon will miss at least another month of the season.
Dixon has suffered a setback in his recovery from pre-season ankle surgery and is yet to play this year.
"It's a big concern,' Port coach Ken Hinkley told reporters on Thursday.
"Charlie ... hasn't missed a game in two years (prior), he's a critical piece of our team as is Aliir (Aliir) down the other end.
"But we need to step up. We need to fill the boots of someone who is not there."
All Australian defender Aliir is not expected to return from an ankle operation for four to five weeks and goalsneak Orazio Fantasia is up to eight weeks from making a comeback from pre-season knee surgery.
Hinkley has dumped GWS recruit Jeremy Finlayson for the Adelaide Oval fixture, summoning Jed McEntee for his second AFL game.
And the Crows have recalled dual club champion Rory Laird for his first premiership game this year after suffering a broken hand as Sloane's replacement.
"He (Laird) has done a fair bit (of ball-handling) over the last week," Crows coach Matthew Nicks told reporters on Thursday.
"We're pretty confident he is going to come in and be okay as far as the hand goes, there's no issues around that."
Nicks described his players as "hungry" to atone after consecutive losses for his rebuilding team, the youngest in the AFL.
And his counterpart Hinkley acknowledged pressure was building on Port, who have been beaten preliminary finalists in the past two years and openly admit gunning for the premiership this season.
"We deserve the pressure, we embrace the pressure," Hinkley said.
"Pressure is good as far as we expect to be a good side ... our expectation as a football club is we are a strong and high performing team.
"And with that comes expectation and pressure, that is part of the game.
"It's not something that we get spooked by, it's something that we understand and appreciate."
