Carlton defender Lachie Henderson says he’s expecting a tough contest from his old team when the two sides meet at the Gabba this Saturday night.

Henderson played 15 games in two seasons with the Brisbane Lions before moving to Carlton at the end of the 2009 season as part of the Brendan Fevola trade.

He’s since played 53 senior matches for the Blues and in recent seasons has transformed himself into a quality key defender.

But don’t expect him to line up on Lions spearhead Jonathan Brown, who returned to form last weekend with a season-high 11 marks against the Bombers.

During his media conference at Visy Park on Tuesday, Henderson scoffed at suggestions that his former skipper was a spent force.

“You don’t want to right off Jonathan Brown because he’s shown what he does when you right him off. He’s a great player and has been a great player for a very long time, so I think Jamo (Michael Jamison) is going to have his hands full this week,” Henderson said.

The 23-year-old also said that his side would not be taking the trip lightly – particularly after witnessing the Lions’ stunning upset against Essendon last weekend.

"They played some really good footy (against Essendon) and beat a … quality side, so we're going to have to be at our best this week," Henderson said.

"Vossy (Lions coach Michael Voss) spoke about their aggression at the footy and winning that contested ball, so in think they'll come out this week and play the same sort of footy."

The Blues are a chance of regaining key midfielders Andrew Carrazzo and Bryce Gibbs for Saturday night’s all-important clash, but have already ruled out playmaker Chris Yarran who suffered a hamstring strain back in Round 7.

Travelling interstate should hold no fears for Carlton, considering they secured a 91-point win on their most recent visit to the Gabba early last year.

They remain undefeated on the road so far in 2013, with a terrific win over West Coast in Subiaco back in Round 4.