Steven Schumacher is optimistic that Wanderers’ players returning from injury could still have a say in the run-in – but insists they cannot be rushed back into the demands of League One football.

Kyle Dempsey, Kion Etete and Ricardo Santos made their returns for the B Team at Everton last weekend, while Dempsey and Santos were also involved for the second string against Manchester City on Thursday.

Dempsey spent a number of months on the sidelines with a knee injury and at one stage it looked like his season was over. Meanwhile, Santos and Etete were dealing with pelvic and thigh problems respectively.

“You have to be up to a level of sharpness to be able to handle the intensity that we want them to play at,” said Schumacher.

“Being out for a long period of time, having a couple of training sessions and one B Team game isn't going to be enough to get to the level and standard that the league wants straight away. So the lads understand that, they're working incredibly hard.

“I must say, everyone who's coming back from injury is putting the effort in on the training ground and if they do that, I'm sure they will be capable of making an impact from now until the end of the season.”

Josh Sheehan was busy during the break, starting both of Wales’ World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia.

The midfielder earned high praise from Craig Bellamy, and Schumacher was pleased to see him doing well on the international stage.

“It's really good for Josh,” he added. “We all know how good of a player Josh has been for us and when it's getting recognised on the international stage at that level, with the players that he's competing against in that Wales squad, it's excellent.

“For him to play 90 minutes in the first game in a World Cup qualifier and then 85 minutes, it shows how much Craig Bellamy rates him as well, as highly as I do.

“Fair play to Josh, he'll be delighted. And the other lads, it's always good if you're representing your country and I'm sure they enjoyed their time away.”