Assistant coach Matthew Clarke says Adelaide will be wary of the Gold Coast Suns, who have been bolstered by the return of a host of stars since the two teams met earlier this season.

The Crows, who were also without a few key players, accounted for the undermanned Suns by 41 points at Metricon Stadium in Round Six.

Both teams will field significantly different teams Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Suns captain and two-time Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett, talented trio Harley Bennell, Trent McKenzie and Brandon Matera, and defenders Nick Malceski and Sam Day all sat out the Round Six clash because of injury or suspension but will play this weekend.

Richard Douglas, Ricky Henderson, Kyle Hartigan, Brodie Martin and 2015 debutants Riley Knight and Rory Atkins are the six different faces for the Crows.

Led by Ablett, who has averaged 30 possessions and two goals since his return from a shoulder complaint, Gold Coast has been more competitive over the past month. Clarke said Adelaide wouldn’t be taking the 17^th-placed team lightly.

“The (the Suns) have had a horrific run of injuries. The last time we played them, they were probably without maybe 10 of their first-choice players,” Clarke said on Friday.

“Their injury toll at the start of the year decimated their season. Probably, the last month they’ve got back to somewhere near a fit squad and we’re starting to see their form really pick up.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for what they can do and obviously Ablett back into their side makes a big difference to them.”

The Crows clawed back into the top eight with a win over Port Adelaide last weekend.

Clarke said another four points this weekend would be vital to the Club’s finals aspirations.

“All the games throughout the remainder of the season are going to be critical, it’s so tight for positions in the eight,” he said.

“We want to be one of those teams at the end of the season, so we’ve got to win these games. Going into the season, I think we acknowledged that it was going to be the most open season ever because the expansion teams have had enough seasons in the competition to be competitive. It’s panned out that way.

“I don’t think anyone could safely be predicting the finals series just yet.”

Saturday’s match could become a hard slog if the forecast of rain and strong winds eventuates.

Adelaide has played a few games in the wet this season, including home fixtures against Melbourne and Fremantle.

“We’re probably fortunate that this season we’ve had a number of wet-weather games. The guys adapted well on those occasions and we’d expect the same (on Saturday),” Clarke said.

The Crows have made one change to their Showdown-winning team, recalling best and fairest-winner Rory Sloane at the expense of another ‘like for like’ midfielder in Matt Crouch.

Crouch is the unfortunate victim of the selection squeeze at West Lakes, which sees 42 of the Club’s 46-listed players named to play at either AFL or SANFL level this weekend – the highest number all season.