Roy Hodgson has refused to rule Luke Shaw and Jack Wilshere out of contention for a place in the England squad at Euro 2016 this summer.
Manchester United left-back Shaw has been sidelined since September with a double leg fracture, while Arsenal midfielder Wilshere has not played all season because of a broken fibula.
Both players are not expected to return to action until May at the earliest, just one month before the Championships get underway in France.
However, Hodgson has said that if the duo can prove their fitness, they will enter his thinking when it comes to selection.
"We are still monitoring Luke Shaw, who is making good progress, and we are monitoring Jack Wilshere, who is also making very good progress," Hodgson said at a coaching workshop in Paris.
"But we have to accept in March we won't have those players [for friendlies against Netherlands and Germany]. But hopefully in May, when I have to make a decision, they will be available for selection."
Shaw has been capped six times by the Three Lions, with Wilshere picking up 28 caps.