BARRING any late setbacks, veteran midfielder Scott Thompson will play for Adelaide on Saturday, but his selection comes with a certain level of trepidation from coach Brenton Sanderson.

Thompson's unbroken run of 99 consecutive games ended in round 18, when a back-related hamstring injury forced him out of the side.

He played the following week before requiring another stretch on the sidelines.

Sanderson said that although the 31-year-old appeared fighting fit, his injury could be triggered at any moment.

"With those neural back injuries, he (Thompson) just needs a twist or a knock that could potentially flare it up," the coach said on Thursday.

"The way he plays, he'll go in at 100 miles an hour…all of us will have our fingers crossed that he gets through the game okay."

Injured wingman David Mackay, who was subbed out of last weekend's loss to Richmond with concussion, trained on Thursday morning and will undergo a final concussion test to determine whether he plays this week.

With the Crows occupying eighth spot thanks to a healthy percentage, victory against North Melbourne in Hobart on Saturday would likely secure the South Australian club a finals birth. They face bottom team St Kilda in round 23.

The Kangaroos will enter the game without stars Brent Harvey and Daniel Wells, but Sanderson tipped the 22 players selected would pose a huge challenge to his players regardless.

"If we can be anywhere near our best against North Melbourne, we'll be really tough to beat," he said.

"Having said that, they're a side that's in good form…we always have really close games against them and just recently North Melbourne/Adelaide games have been really competitive.

"They're going to be a handful, they're always hard to beat."

Adelaide will again be out to atone for a disappointing loss having hit the lead in the final term against Richmond last weekend before surrendering the game.

The Crows haven't lost consecutive games since dropping the opening two of the season, but have only managed consecutive wins twice.

Sanderson described the club's yo-yo form as exhausting.

“It's draining for the coaches and fans.

"I promise you, they're in that [ruthless] mood every week but we don't always get the outcome.

“It’s something we'd love the answer for, every coach in every sport throughout the world – 'how do you get the players starting well every week?'"