West Coast will have to find a new man to stop Gary Ablett in Saturday’s clash with Gold Coast after chief tagger Scott Selwood was ruled out with an ankle injury.

Selwood has shadowed the GC SUNS skipper in a number of previous encounters, but his absence means Eagles coach Adam Simpson will be forced to find another run-with player to deal with the reigning Brownlow medallist.

Regardless of who goes with him, West Coast coach Adam Simpson believes Ablett can’t be stopped throughout an entire match, and it is more about limiting his influence.

“If you can stop him from having 45 possessions and kicking four, I think that is the goal,” Simpson said.

“I don’t think you can stop him from having his 25 to 30 (disposals) and having an impact, so we will try and nullify him as best we can.”

Selwood’s injury means former Collingwood premiership player Sharrod Wellingham has earned a reprieve.

Wellingham was used as a substitute against Hawthorn last week and was dropped from the 22 for this match when the initial squad was named.

“We have got a few players at the moment who are playing, not at their full capacity,” Simpson said.

“He (Wellingham) is one of them.

“He is a player who has been around for a long time, a premiership player at Collingwood. There are standards that we all set ourselves so he has got to get to those standards.”

Champion West Coast ruckman Dean Cox has been rested from the game, which means the Eagles will go in to a match without a 2006 premiership player for the first time since that win over the Sydney Swans.