Franck Ribery and Jerome Boateng are both stepping up their comeback bids and nearing a return to action for Bayern Munich.
Ribery, 33, has not featured since the Bundesliga champions' 2-1 victory at Werder Bremen over a month ago after suffering a strained muscle at the back of his right thigh during training on Jan. 31.
But Bayern's second longest-serving player has taken an active part in the majority of this week's team training sessions, and coach Carlo Ancelotti said last Friday that he had made "good progress" and could be available for this weekend's game against Hamburg.
I'm on @Twitter now! ������ Looking forward to some good conversations. I'll be back on the pitch for @FCBayern soon! ⚽ #FollowFranck #FR7 �� pic.twitter.com/XoA5AscTis
- Franck Ribéry (@FranckRibery) February 22, 2017
There is also positive news concerning central defender Boateng. The 28-year-old has suffered with injuries this campaign and only started five Bundesliga games, most recently Bayern's only league defeat of the season at Borussia Dortmund in November.
Germany's 2016 Footballer of the Year underwent an operation on a pectoral tendon on Dec. 20 and was originally expected to be ruled out for six weeks.
But the surgeon who performed Boateng's operation, Prof. Dr. Andreas Imhoff, always maintained the defender would be forced to sit out until March.
According to Ancelotti, Boateng is "three weeks away from a return," having also used an individual fitness programme, even working on the beach in Dubai over the winter to enhance his recovery.
Meanwhile, Arjen Robben did not participate in Tuesday's public training session, but worked individually in the performance centre at Bayern HQ at Saebener Strasse.