Wales back-rowers Josh Navidi and Ellis Jenkins are on the cusp of returning from injury according to their Cardiff Blues director of rugby Dai Young.
Navidi has not played since August, while Jenkins has been out since November 2018, but the two could be back in action very soon.
Wayne Pivac is set to name his Wales squad for the 2021 Guinness Six Nations on Wednesday, with plenty of interest over selection in the back row, and the potential return of Navidi could be a huge boost.
Young said: “Josh is very near to being involved.
“He is back in full training, so we will see how he comes through that in terms of whether he will be fit and available for the game against the Scarlets on Friday.
“Obviously it’s still a little bit early in the week, so he needs to come through that, but he’s very near it.”
Jenkins’ return to the Test scene may take a little longer, considering how long he has been out. He suffered a serious knee injury while starring for Wales against South Africa back in 2018.
However, that appears to be behind him now.
Young added: “Ellis is right on the point of coming back.
“That would be my decision. I just want him to have a little bit more training time which would help him to get a bit more confident. It’s all looking good on that front.
“He is back on the training park. He’s not injured. He just needs to pick up some of his fitness. He needs a couple of weeks going flat out in training.
“The good thing is he’s not carrying that injury anymore. He’s pretty much injury-free, it’s just a matter of getting as much mileage into his legs and a bit more confidence in the contact stuff.
“But we are very close with the both of them and they are two quality players that will make a big impact for the Blues if and when they are available.”
Wales kick off their Championship campaign at home to Ireland before a trip to Scotland in Round 2.
