Crowley and Hogan expected back in action for Dons this month
The injured pair are on course to make a return soon
Long-term absentees Scott Hogan and Dan Crowley are expected to be back available for MK Dons before the end of the month.
The pair both missed the end of the season after picking up injuries, and neither were fit in time to take part in the majority of the pre-season campaign for Paul Warne’s side.
Back training intermittently on grass though, head coach Warne said the duo are beginning to integrate more and more with the first-team and he expects them to be ready within a matter of weeks.
“They’re back on the grass, training with the squad,” he confirmed. “They dipped in and out in fairness but they’ve been training again.
“We need to get some games in them, so I wouldn’t expect to see them in the squad in the next week or two, unless there’s an absolute avalanche of bad news, but they’re training with the squad now. I’m hoping that before the window shuts, they’ll be in the team.”
Warne will still be without defenders Sam Sherring, Nathan Thompson and Laurence Maguire for the season opener against Oldham Athletic on Saturday. Ex-Northampton Town man Sherring suffered a hamstring issue against Peterborough United last week, and could be back sooner than the others.
Warne added: “He’s got a grade one issue, he shouldn’t be out for much longer I don’t think, but he’s still got an awareness of it. Until he loses that, we can’t really step him up but by all accounts he shouldn’t be out for much longer.
“The defensive unit took a good crack, but we can’t make excuses, things happen. It’s just next man up, isn’t it. If we lose another, a midfielder goes in there, or we play a three at the back. The physios are working hard to get them back but I think Saturday will be too soon for them.”