CRAIG Bryson missed the friendly against Northampton Town yesterday due to an ankle problem but the Derby County midfielder is making good progress.
Bryson has not featured in the last three friendlies after playing the first half at Matlock last week.
Paul Coutts, Kieron Freeman and Lee Grant also sat out the 4-2 victory over Northampton in a behind-closed-doors match at Champneys Health Spa, where the Rams have been based for a few days.
"Craig Bryson and Paul Coutts stayed behind at the training ground this week," said first-team coach Paul Simpson.
"Craig is making good progress. He has done quite a bit of running and we are hopeful he should join the rest of the squad next week.
"Paul Coutts has not progressed so well.
"He has still got a bit of soreness, a bit of damage on his hip flexor, so we just need to be gentle with that one because he has been out a long time."
Coutts missed virtually all of last season after dislocating a kneecap in the Capital One Cup defeat by Leicester City in September.
The Scottish midfielder figured in the first friendly of pre-season at Matlock but has been sidelined since.
Goalkeeper Lee Grant is continuing his rehabilitation following a minor operation on his knee.
Derby are not expecting him to appear in a pre-season game until the trip to Austria.
"Lee is getting a feel of the ball with goalkeeper coach Eric Steele every day," said Simpson. "He is also doing all of his rehab on his knee and some body work as well, so he is keeping himself in good shape.
"We fully expect him to play during the trip to Austria."
Kieron Freeman was another who missed the Northampton game.
The right-back took a knock on his ankle in the win against Nuneaton Town on Tuesday.
Derby used 23 players against Northampton.
The midfield trio for the first half was Jeff Hendrick and Will Hughes with John Eustace in the holding role.
Behind them, the back four featured a centre-back pairing of Richard Keogh and Zak Whitbread with Lee Naylor at left-back and Argentine trialist Eros Medaglia at right- back. Kelle Roos was in goal.
Up front, Conor Sammon was the focal point of the attack flanked by Mason Bennett and Simon Dawkins.
Hendrick struck twice and Sammon also scored as Derby built a 3-1 lead by the break.
Mark O'Brien, Johnny Russell, Jamie Hanson and Alban Bunjaku were introduced for the second half in place of Keogh, Dawkins, Hendrick and Hughes.
Hanson, playing in midfield, impressed again and is enjoying a good pre-season.
Eustace headed Derby's fourth goal and Chris Martin, Ross Etheridge, Craig Forsyth, Jake Buxton, Jamie Ward, Max Lowe and Lee Hendrie came on as substitutes after an hour.
Russell suffered a heavy knock that left his ankle and foot bruised and he was replaced by trialist Ivan Calero, a 19-year-old Spanish midfielder.
Commenting on the latest workout, Simpson said: "What we have tried to do over the course of pre-season is build the level of opposition as we go along.
"This was the next step up after Nuneaton and we are delighted with the workout."
