George Pisi, Tom Mercey and Samu Manoa remain doubts for Saints’ Premiership showdown with Sale Sharks on Saturday.
Pisi and Manoa were forced off early against London Welsh last weekend, sustaining hamstring injuries during the 31-14 win at the Kassam Stadium.
Mercey missed the game with a broken hand, with Brian Mujati replacing him in the starting line-up to great effect.
And Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder admits Pisi, Manoa and Mercey are struggling to be fit in time for this weekend’s game at Franklin’s Gardens.
“They (Mercey and Manoa) are very close, we’ll have to see,” he said.
“They’re both out there running, whether they’ll be fit for Saturday we’ll find out more in the next 48 hours.
“George has still got a chance. He’s strained his hamstring, it’s not a massive pull, but he did a little bit of damage.
“He’s walking around, but he’s not trained as yet and if he’s not right we’ve got some good players who are desperate to play.”
One player definitely out of Saturday’s game, though, is centre Dom Waldouck, who is recovering from surgery on a hamstring injury.