Andre Dozzell and James Wilson have both trained this week and will be in the squad for Saturday’s opening home game of the season against Sunderland, manager Paul Lambert has confirmed.
Dozzell missed the trip to Burton last week due to a knee problem suffered in the pre-season friendly at Cambridge but Lambert says the 20-year-old is back in contention: "He’s trained, he trained this week, so he’ll be in the squad.”
Wilson, a debutant at the Pirelli Stadium, came off with cramp in the second half due to his lack of fitness having only joined Town late in pre-season.
"James is fine, he’s not done too much through pre-season, but he came in and did really well for us. He’s come through it OK,” the Town manager continued.
Lambert appears to be considering whether midfielder Alan Judge is ready to start against the Black Cats, the Irishman having made an impressive appearance from the bench against the Brewers.
Judge, 30, suffered a broken wrist when away with the Republic of Ireland in June and appeared for only 45 minutes in pre-season before coming on as a 63rd minute sub at Burton.
"Judge has only played 81 minutes in total [including in] pre-season, so he's in the squad. I thought he did really well when he came on last Saturday, so we'll see how everything goes today,” he said.
Skipper Luke Chambers was absent from the side last week, although was on the pitch for his traditional fist pump after the whistle confirmed the Blues’ 1-0 victory, and Lambert says he has a decision to make with Wilson and Luke Woolfenden both having impressed as Town recorded a clean sheet against Nigel Clough’s side.
"The suspension’s happened and injuries happen, and when somebody comes in and holds it down, you've got a dilemma who plays. Luke's back in contention as everybody else is.”
Lambert says Jon Nolan (calf) and Gwion Edwards (groin) still have a little way to go before they’re in contention.
"I really don't know [how long]. Nolan has done bits with the fitness guys and Gwion has started to train with us now, so Gwion is probably a bit ahead from what Jon is, but again they haven't kicked a ball.”
He says he expects Jack Lankester to be out for a while with the back problem which he aggravated in pre-season.
"Jack, that's going to be a right few months that one so we just have to let him get over that again and try and get him back as quick as he can, but that's going to be a few months.”
Lambert says that he needs his injured players back - as well as additions - given the challenges of the season to come.
"Sixty-odd games is an incredible amount that you can end up playing,” he added. "A lot of these guys are still catching up, Nolan hasn't played one game and hasn't really trained, Edwards hasn't played one game and has only done we bits.
"Judgey’s only played 80 minutes, Emyr at Notts County it was his first 90 minutes in two years. That's unknown, these are unknown, especially Emyr we've got to get him through and he's doing really well and I'm happy with how he's going but two years not playing football is a long time.
"Judgey, 81 minutes in six or seven weeks is way short and Nolan's not kicked a ball, and Gwion has just started a little bit, so there's four right away, Toto [Nsiala, hamstring], another few weeks out, so the squad is okay, but I think we have to be stronger.”
In addition to the first-team players out, with Teddy Bishop also missing for another couple of months with a knee problem and Tristan Nydam for six months with an ankle injury, young strikers Ben Morris and Ben Folami are also on the way back from serious injuries.
"Those two are doing well, they're alright, but their injuries were terrible, an ACL [Morris] and an achilles, they're long-term and you can't do anything about long-term injuries.”
Meanwhile, new loan keeper Will Norris was on the bench at Burton and Lambert says he has settled in well.
"He's excellent, Will Norris, I'm really impressed with him,” he said. "I saw him playing a couple of times at Wolves, so I knew exactly what he was like and when he came available I know people of Wolves really well, and they've helped on that side of it which has been good.
"I thank Wolves for doing it, Kevin at Wolves and the people there, but he's a really good goalkeeper.”