SYDNEY coach Dean Cox has downplayed major concerns over Tom McCartin's wellbeing, although the club will continue to take a cautious approach to the key defender's recovery from concussion.

McCartin entered the League's concussion protocols after suffering a knock during Sydney's thrilling two-point win over St Kilda on Sunday.

The 26-year-old, who has a history of concussion issues, was forced from the ground early in the third term following a heavy collision with Saints forward Liam Ryan.

Having already missed a combined 15 games across the past three seasons due to three separate incidents, McCartin will miss Saturday night's match against Port Adelaide.

But speaking to reporters on Thursday, Cox gave a positive update on the defender's condition.

"He's going well. He's been in the footy club all the way through the week. He's healthy, he's responded well, and he's just now working through some protocols," Cox said.

"We'll hopefully build towards some training next week and assess him from there."

The incident inevitably carries extra weight due to McCartin's history, both due to the severity of his recent setbacks and the fact that his older brother, Paddy McCartin, was forced into early retirement in 2023 following his own extensive concussion history.

The timing is particularly cruel given that McCartin has been putting together a stellar 2026 campaign that has him firmly in contention for an All-Australian blazer.

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Yet, when asked if the club needs to manage the emotional side of the injury given his track record, Cox emphasised that neither McCartin nor the club are panicking.

"No, not really, I think Tom spent a lot of time on it," he said.

"Obviously, he's had a few concussions, like most players, but he's vibrant since coming back into the football club. He's focused on trying to get back as quickly and as safely as he possibly can, and we'll give him that time."

While McCartin has already ruled out of Saturday night's match against Port Adelaide, the Swans are facing a broader availability crunch. With some crucial personnel out this week with injury — including midfielder Justin McInerney with a hamstring tear — the team will need to cover some pivotal roles.

Given further injuries to key defenders Lewis Melican (hamstring) and Dane Rampe (calf), last week's hero against the Saints, Jai Serong, will be heavily relied upon to anchor the depleted backline in the coming weeks. This could see some positional re-jigging as the team relies on its squad depth.

With three first-choice defenders missing at once, Cox emphasised a "next man up" mentality when asked how the Swans will handle the forced changes.

"With the next person that comes in," he said.

"That's something we've spoken about as a footy club for a long period of time — the ability to be able to replace injured players or fill any role that we're after. That's something that we always want to make sure we're known for.

"We spend a lot of time with our VFL team and everyone on our list about the way we want to play. They certainly understand now what Port Adelaide is going to throw at us, but we also need them to understand that they are in the team to perform that role well.

"Throughout a football season, we don't want the team we started with to be our final team."

Cox noted that this tactical flexibility would be key to dismantling the Power on their own turf.

"Jai played back last week and spent time on the wing, Logan (McDonald) has been on a wing at times, and whether we tag with 'JJ' (James Jordon) or whether we don't, we want to have a look at a number of things whilst also focusing on what the best thing is to beat the team that we're currently playing against," he said.

"That's Port Adelaide this week; they are coming off a good win and have had some tight games throughout the season. On their home deck, they're always hard."