Wilfred Bouma and John Carew are back in action for Aston Villa following spells on the sidelines.
The pair both played 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Derby on Thursday and came through unscathed.
Norway international Carew has been out of action for nearly three months with a back complaint, leading Martin O'Neill to swoop for England striker Emile Heskey.
Bouma has been absent for even longer, having dislocated his ankle during an Intertoto Cup clash with Odense in late July.
Both men will be keen to force their way back into the first team fold as quickly possible, but may find that difficult as Villa continue to chase a top four finish in the Premier League.
Another man hoping to be brought back in the near future is Nigel Reo-Coker.
The midfielder is currently carrying a hamstring problem but O'Neill expects the former West Ham ace to be in contention for Villa's trip to Blackburn on 7th February.
"Nigel has had a scan and it is a minor hamstring strain," said O'Neill.
"It is hard to say at this stage how long he will be out but we are hoping he might be fit for the Blackburn game."
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