WORRYING: Port Adelaide is dealing with an injury setback to their newly acquired ruck player.

Ivan Soldo, a new ruck recruit for Port Adelaide, will miss the minimum of the upcoming month of the AFL season due to a recurrence of an old knee ailment.

Following last week’s injury to his left knee’s lateral meniscus, Soldo will undergo arthroscopic surgery.

Now, the Power will give Western Bulldogs’ Jordon Sweet, their second ruck recruit, a longer look. The Power’s match against St Kilda on Friday night at Adelaide Oval will kick off this prolonged trial.

Sweet will carry the rucks in a Power side bolstered by the return from injury of key forward Charlie Dixon and the club’s games-record holder Travis Boak.

Sweet played 11 games for the Bulldogs, returning to his native South Australia at the end of last season.

He played in Port’s heavy loss to Collingwood last-start and will be pitted against St Kilda ace Rowan Marshall on Friday night.

“In every little bit of a down story there’s a positive story, and that is for Jordon to get an opportunity,” Port coach Ken Hinkley told reporters on Thursday.

“He has shown at the level below that he’s just too good at that level, he was dominant last year over in Victoria as a VFL ruckman and this year even in the SANFL he has been really strong.

“He just needs and looks for an opportunity to show what he can do at a fair level consistently.”

Hinkley said former Richmond ruck Soldo, who had impressed with an average 29 hitouts in his first six outings for Port, was expected to miss “four or five weeks”.

“The simple story is that he’s got some history with his knees, (and) he’s given it a bit of a bang,” Hinkley said.

“We’ve made an assertive, an aggressive, decision to make sure we take care of that right now.

“He will have a little procedure and miss a little period of time.

“Ivan, we hope, will be a ruckman for our footy club for a good period of time and a small procedure now might save us some long-term grief.”

Port hold sixth spot entering the encounter against Ross Lyon’s Saints who, after stumbling with consecutive defeats, are in 13th with a 2-4 win-loss record.

“When you come up against Ross, you typically come up against a really defensive team who are really, really hard-working and a high-pressuring team,” Hinkley said.

“We’re going to have our work cut out if we don’t come for the contest initially.”