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Adelaide co-captain Erin Phillips will not make a round one return but co-captain Chelsea Randall has backed her to feature in their AFLW flag defence.
Adelaide will kick off the AFLW season without Erin Phillips, but remain confident their co-captain will play an early role in their premiership defence.
Phillips, who tore her ACL in Adelaide's AFLW grand final win last March then had an arthroscope on her knee in December, has set her sights on an early-season return but she and ruck Rhiannon Metcalfe will miss Saturday's season opener against Brisbane.
"Both would like to play this week, however the club will be guided by our medical specialists who will work with the players to ensure as little risk as possible is taken," Adelaide general manager of football administration Phil Harper said.
"We are unable to put an exact timeline on return to play for them at this stage, they still have some boxes to tick."
Earlier, co-captain Chelsea Randall backed Phillips to return this season.
"I have no doubt she'll be playing this season - it's just a matter of when that might look," Randall told AAP at the AFLW season launch.
Youngster Chloe Scheer - who also tore her ACL in the grand final - has had her return pushed back by arthroscopic surgery, while winger Deni Varnhagen will miss at least a month with knee cartilage damage.
Randall, who is out for the season after her ACL in Adelaide's first pre-season training session in November, said retaining the co-captaincy had been an important show of faith from coach Matthew Clarke.
"When you come and do such a serious injury, you can't help but question 'where do I sit, where to now, what does my role look like?'" Randall said.
"So his belief in me that I can still be able to do that role and help assist in our midfield as a coach as well was really important to me."
Randall was confident the Crows could mount a strong premiership defence, despite injuries and the AFLW expanding to 14 teams.
"It's really hard to know where you stand this year and with four brand new teams into the competition this year, it's like you're walking back into unknown territory again," Randall said.
"So much player movement's happened and occurred and we've had quite a few injuries. You just want to be able to perform and continue to grow another level."
