Bolton Wanderers striker Eoin Doyle is poised to return to training at the start of next week while defender Harry Brockbank is having a scan on the hamstring injury he picked up against Mansfield Town.
Wanderers striker Doyle has been out injured since being replaced in the draw against Cambridge United.
Bolton head coach Ian Evatt hopes to have the forward back in some capacity for next week's clash against Salford City, either starting or off the bench.
And Evatt revealed ahead of this weekend's FA Cup first round clash against Crewe Alexandra that Doyle is due to return to training on Monday, while defender Gethin Jones is also due to be back on the grass next week too.
Evatt said: "Key players are returning, we’ve had no strength in depth, especially at the top end of the pitch.
“We’ve now got Eoin Doyle looking like he’s going to be back training on Monday, sooner than we thought. Shaun Miller’s back, Isgrove’s back, Gethin Jones is back on the grass Monday with us again.
"All of a sudden the squad looks a lot more full, a lot more competition for places and that should spur people on to either perform better and keep their place, or for the others to get in the team and take their opportunity."
One player where there is currently not a timeframe for how long he could be out for is defender Brockbank, who picked up a hamstring problem in the first half of the draw against the Stags earlier this week.
Brockbank is having a scan today on the issue and Evatt believes it could be a similar issue to the one experienced by striker Nathan Delfouneso, which forced him off in the loss against Leyton Orient.
Evatt said: "No idea (of a timeframe). He’s gone for a scan today. The pleasing thing is he still has a lot of strength in his hamstring. He could be a similar issue to Nathan (Delfouneso) and what Nathan had.
"I keep repeating these messages but prior to the lockdown and post-lockdown, we’re going to have some tissue problems and we have to adapt and overcome."
