Defender Ricky Henderson will miss Adelaide’s game against the Western Bulldogs with a knee complaint.

Henderson, 24, has been one of the Club’s best players over the past two months despite nursing a knee injury. Coach Brenton Sanderson said he was optimistic the athletic utility wouldn’t be sidelined for long.

“The only forced change will be Rick Henderson. We’re hoping it’s just going to be one week,” Sanderson said.

“He’s got an impingement in his knee, so we won’t play him this week. He’s been battling with it for the last couple of weeks and been playing through it okay, but it’s probably got to the point now where he needs to have a week off.”

Scott Thompson is set to play despite being subbed out of last weekend's game against North Melbourne.

Sanderson denied injury had any part to play in the decision to sub the veteran, insisting the Crows just needed extra run. It was a forgettable game for the two-time reigning club champion; his afternoon ending with just 11 disposals.

Having averaged more than 30 disposals a game in his last two seasons, Thompson has dropped off this year, averaging 24 disposals a game.

While still declaring him Adelaide's "best clearance player", Sanderson conceded the 30-year-old had struggled to adapt to a faster game.

"The game's sort of changed a little bit, it hasn't suited him as much as it probably did in the last few seasons.

"The way the umpires this year are throwing the ball up, [the issue has] been getting from contest to contest for him.

"He's still our best clearance player, he's still our bull inside the contest.

"But we're seeing now, with the way the game's being played, it's much more continuous … he's struggled to get from contest to contest as much as he probably would have liked.        

"He's carried some little niggles throughout the season, it hasn't been his best year, but we still value his contribution as much as anyone else in the team."