Boss Graham Potter confirmed that captain Jarrod Bowen and fellow forward Crysencio Summerville will be monitored closely as they target returns against Aston Villa on Sunday, but Jean-Clair Todibo will miss the Premier League clash at Villa Park.
England international Bowen - who has notched five goals in 19 top-flight appearances this season - has missed Potter’s first three games in charge in all competitions, due to a fractured foot sustained against Liverpool in December, but is now in contention for a comeback alongside Summerville, who has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring problem in the first half of an Emirates FA Cup third-round defeat at Villa earlier this month.
The Irons head up the M1 and M6 for the second time in 16 days to face Unai Emery's side this weekend, seeking a second victory in Potter's third Premier League match at the helm, having defeated Fulham at London Stadium before going down to a home defeat by Crystal Palace last Saturday.
While recognising the importance of Bowen and Summerville to the team, Potter was clear he won’t risk any member of his squad if they aren’t completely ready to get stuck back into match action.
“He's [Bowen] been integrated into the group,” Potter confirmed, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.
“He's had one or two sessions, so we will still need to assess him and how he reacts. It's still early, but obviously we'll go into another day tomorrow. I think it's important that we don't rush him in and we make sure he's right.
“It's the same situation with Cry [Summerville] as well. He’s had a couple of sessions, but again, we need to make sure that he's confident and we're confident.
“It's nice to have them taking part in aspects of training, of course, but as I said, we need to make sure that they're back, they’re comfortable and they feel ready to help us, because undoubtedly they will.”
When asked about Todibo - who hasn't featured since being withdrawn in the early stages of the second half against Manchester City at the start of January - Potter confirmed the Frenchman remains on the sidelines.
The Head Coach added: “He's progressing, but the weekend will come too soon for him, for sure.
“We need to help him get back fit because then he'll help us.”
