Adelaide coach Neil Craig says many Crows are playing to survive rather than thrive.

Craig is hopeful of regaining three experienced players for Adelaide's away trip to face Carlton on Saturday night.

Defenders Scott Stevens (illness), Richard Tambling (ankle) and Michael Doughty (leg) could all return against the Blues.

The Crows, with one win from three games after a 32-point loss to Port which Craig described as a capitulation, have been ravaged by early season injuries.

Some seven regulars have been sidelined since their round one win over Hawthorn, with Craig forced to explore his club's callow depth.

"At the moment our capacity to maintain for four quarters is a fair way off," he said after the defeat to Port on Saturday night.

"And it is the composition of our side at the moment.

"You're asking a lot of guys to play hardened AFL footy when some of them are just trying to survive."

Craig said he would remain demanding of his players despite their collective lack of experience "otherwise nothing happens and it becomes 'we'll just wait until we get some players back'."

"We need to maximise this time and squeeze everything we can out of what we've got so that this is not just a wasted period of time," he said.

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