Charlton, who were in the top flight as recently as 2007, are desperate to regain the Championship place lost in 2009.
They have held the league leadership for the last 11 matches and are eyeing a sixth straight victory after beating Carlisle, Wycombe, Hartlepool, Preston and Brentford.
The loss of influential skipper Johnnie Jackson with a hamstring injury is a blow, but Powell has on-loan QPR midfielder Hogan Ephraim to call on.
With former Tottenham, Colchester and Notts County man Jackson out, only two of the predicted Charlton starting XI, right-back Chris Solly and 14-goal top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, were around last season.
Powell’s close-season business included the recruitment of keeper Ben Hamer from Reading, left-back Rhoys Wiggins and midfielder Danny Hollands from Bournemouth and centre-backs Michael Morrison (Sheffield Wednesday) and Matt Taylor (Exeter).
Midfielders Danny Green and Andy Hughes moved from Dagenham and Redbridge and Scunthorpe respectively, while French striker Yann Kermorgant arrived in September after his release by Leicester.
Former Oldham midfielder Dale Stephens is out injured, but ex-Leicester coach Powell can also call on one-time Town loan striker Paul Hayes, a summer signing from Preston and tricky midfielder Scott Wagstaff, like Solly, a Charlton youth product.
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