Sunderland AFC duo Alex Pritchard and Nathan Broadhead are closing in on a return to action.
Both have played a prominent role during the campaign, with Pritchard contributing four goals and ten assists and Broadhead scoring eight times in 18 appearances.
Neither has featured since a 0-0 draw with Charlton Athletic earlier this month and the trip to the Valley was Broadhead’s one and only appearance since December.
However, the duo are closing in on their respective comebacks, as they strive to play a key role in the final run-in.
“We were concerned that both would be long-term issues, but they have recovered quicker than anticipated,” explained Alex Neil.
“That’s great and both have been out on the grass this week, so we have hopefully seen flashes that they are coming back.”
He continued: “Whether they will be back for this weekend’s game against Gillingham, I’m not quite sure, but they certainly aren’t far away.”
The Head Coach also discussed the availability of Danny Batth, who played the full 90 minutes when Sunderland’s Under-23s faced Burnley last week.
“We tried to top up as many lads with minutes [in that Under-23 game] that hadn’t been featuring, and obviously the likes of Danny needed some because he hadn’t played in a wee while.
“It’s good to get all the players back [and available], as it gives us variety in terms of what is available for our remaining games."