Barnsley are hoping to have Jordan Williams and Romal Palmer back from injury by the end of the current international break.
Defender Williams and midfielder Palmer are yet to play under Valerien Ismael due to injuries but he is hopeful they can be in contention to face Nottingham Forest a week tomorrow.
Ismael has admitted that his high intensity style of play and the packed fixture list will create more injuries than usual this season.
The Reds welcomed back Cauley Woodrow and Callum Britain from hamstring injuries on Saturday as they both contributed to the 2-0 win at Derby County.
Ismael told the Chronicle: “Woodrow and Brittain were very important for us in Derby.
“In two weeks maybe we have two more players back. After we have all the players back, we will be able to push all the guys to the limit in training.”
Meanwhile, Mike Bahre is expected to be out of training for at least two months following surgery on his hip.
The German midfielder, 25, began last season as the Reds’ captain but, after the sacking of Daniel Stendel, he drifted out of contention under Gerhard Struber.
He made just one appearance after lockdown, against Luton Town in June, then has not featured at all this season so has spent most of it training with the under 23s.
He came close to moves away from Oakwell during the transfer window but they were not completed, and chief executive Dane Murphy suggested the Reds could cancel his contract to allow him to move to a new club.
But he is now injured while Barnsley have brought in a new head coach in Ismael who was second team coach at Hannover 96 where Bahre was in the German club’s academy.
Ismael told the Chronicle: “Mike may be a long time.
“We have to be patient then, when he is 100 per cent, we can speak about the situation.”
Left-back Ben Williams is the other long-term absentee.
A knee injury sustained in pre-season is likely to keep him out until about March at the earliest.
