Collingwood's hopes of bridging the gap on the top four sides by beating Sydney in the second half of the AFL's split round have been dealt a blow after number one ruckman Josh Fraser was again ruled out with the knee injury that has troubled him since the AFL Hall of Fame game in May.

But while the Pies will be without Fraser for the second successive match for a game they simply must win if they hope to end the season with the double chance, the Swans have received a boost with the return of their number one ruckman Peter Everitt.

Everitt will play only his sixth match of the season and his first since Round 11 as he returns in place of the suspended Adam Goodes, who will miss his first match since Round 21, 1999 ending a run of 204 successive matches.

It will be the first time that the Swans have gone into a game without their dual Brownlow Medalist since Paul Roos became coach in 2002.

But it is the Pies, who will fall a massive 14 points behind the Swans in the race for fourth spot if they lose, that have by far the bigger injury concerns.

Already missing injured key forwards Sean Rusling (shoulder) and recent victims Anthony Rocca (ankle) and Ben Reid (foot), the Pies' lack of height will now be exposed further by the absence of Fraser.

Earlier this week Collingwood assistant coach Brad Scott said the Pies would not be taking any risks with Fraser - who starred for Victoria in that Hall of Fame game before suffering a knee injury in that match which has hindered him since.

"His form in that game was really encouraging, that is the best I have seen him jump in the ruck since I have been at Collingwood so to get him back in that kind of form is really important," Scott said.

"But for him to do that he has to be fully fit but if he is not fully fit (to face Sydney) we won't play him."

There was some good news for the Magpies though with the return of Travis Cloke from suspension and goalsneak Leon Davis from an ankle injury while veteran defender Shane Wakelin returns in place of the omitted Alan Toovey.

Meanwhile Geelong and Adelaide have each made two changes for this weekend's only other game when they meet at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.

The Crows, who like Collingwood desperately need a win to keep their top four hopes alive, have bought in Brad Symes and Kris Massie for the injured Andrew McLeod (knee) and Luke Jericho, who was dropped.

But they face a daunting task against the reigning premier, which has not only won 31 of its past 33 matches but also its past three matches at AAMI Stadium and has significantly strengthened a team which handed West Coast a record 135-point home loss in its last outing two weeks ago.

The Cats regained number one defender Matthew Scarlett following a two-match absence with a hamstring injury and goalsneak Mathew Stokes, who was a late withdrawal from the Eagles' clash with knee soreness.

Even Geelong coach Mark Thompson admitted that no-one deserved to drop out of the team - following the incredible last start win in Perth - to make way for the return of Scarlett and Stokes.

"Matthew Scarlett picks himself and so does Mathew Stokes so unfortunately we have to work out who goes out of the team," Thompson said at Melbourne Airport on Thursday, prior to travelling to Adelaide.

But eventually the Cats decided to axe the unlucky pair of key defender Harry Taylor and midfielder Brent Prismall.