Adelaide utility Brent Reilly’s reconstructed shoulder is wound so tight it can’t pop out again, Crows coach Brenton Sanderson says.

Reilly will play his first AFL game in almost eight months on Saturday when the Crows meet hometown rivals Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

Sanderson says the Crows took extra precautions which delayed the 30-year-old’s comeback.

“We just wanted to make sure for his own confidence that we avoided those situations where he put himself under unnecessary risks,” Sanderson told reporters on Friday.

“But he has said to me this week, and we have spoken to his surgeon, that shoulder is not going to pop out. They have really wound that tight.”

Reilly’s teammate Richard Douglas, who had surgery three weeks ago to stop bleeding in his groin, will also return to action against Port.

Douglas copped a blow to the groin in Adelaide’s last pre-season game and was initially expected to miss at least the first month of the premiership season.

“He is one of our nominated leaders but he also brings a lot of experience back into the side,” Sanderson said.

“Along with Brent Reilly, there’s about 325 games of AFL experience back into our team from last week.

“We can’t get those guys better prepared. Douglas wouldn’t have lost anything in those two weeks, so he’ll be a really good inclusion for us as well.”