Nolan and Lowery on course to return to training after period on the sidelines.

Eddie Nolan and Tom Lowery will be fit to resume full training when the club is given the green light to start preparing for the 2020/21 season. Both players missed a large proportion of the second half of the season through injury with Nolan struggling with a trapped nerve in his back and Lowery ruled out with a persistence groin issue.

Midfielder, Lowery, has undergone a hernia operation and is expected to be out for between 4-6 weeks.

Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell told the club’s official website: “Tom has had a hernia operation and that means he is out for 4-6 weeks but it will resolve the problem that hampered him in the second half of the season.

“We would have done it sooner but couldn’t for obvious reasons. He wasn’t allowed in the hospital basically and we couldn’t even sneak him under the door!

"He was tested for Covid-19 three times in the build up to the operation and that is fully understandable. The surgeon wasn’t allowed to conduct the surgery up to this point, so that has set us back slightly, but not dramatically.

“It is not a long rehabilitation process usually.

“Eddie is progressing really well. When we are back, whenever that is, he will start joining back in. Tentatively at first but we feel as though there is some good progress being made.”