Port Adelaide's Sam Powell-Pepper will make his return from back-to-back ACL injuries this weekend.

The forward will run out with Port's SANFL side for their Showdown with Adelaide as a curtain-raiser for the AFL blockbuster on Saturday afternoon.

It's been 11 months since Powell-Pepper last played, with the 28-year-old having endured a cruel run of major injuries in recent seasons.

He missed the bulk of the 2024 season after rupturing his ACL in his right knee during a marking contest against St Kilda in April of that year.

Powell-Pepper made a solid return last season, returning in their round one match against Collingwood before a second ACL rupture suffered against the Lions in round 17, this time in his left knee, ended his 2025 campaign.

In January, he underwent minor surgery in his rehabilitation back to fitness.

This weekend's return come just shy of a year since going down with the horror injury.

The Power confirmed Powell-Pepper "will make his long-awaited return to football this weekend" in an injury update this week.

Speaking on a recent podcast, Powell-Pepper revealed he has worked with a gymnast to aid the final stages of his recovery, and had sought medical advice in the US on the route back to footy.

Port's on-field woes for 2026 haven't been helped by their recent injuries.

Emerging key forward Ollie Lord suffered a season-ending ACL at Easter, Josh Sinn was sidelined early and skipper Connor Rozee's round two hamstring injury snowballed into nerve issue putting a line through his 2026.

Esava Ratugolea, whose 2025 year ended the same night at Powell-Pepper's with a hamstring injury, ruptured his patella tendon against Collingwood at the weekend. He will take no further part in the current season.

The Power sit 15th on the ladder with four wins in a luckless year so far.

Five losses, including those against top four teams Sydney and Hawthorn, as well as a one-point heartbreaker against the Crows in round eight's Showdown, came at a margin under a goal.

Adelaide sit fifth ahead of this week's grudge match against their cross-town rivals.