Manager Keith Curle says that midfielder Scott Pollock is making good progress as he works towards fitness.
Pollock, who has made 23 first team appearances, played for the Cobblers last in March, just before the first lockdown, but has been missing since with a troublesome groin injury that has required surgery.
"Scott Pollock is progressing well and he is a long way down his road to recovery but he is a little way away," said the Cobblers boss.
"He is a longer term project. He is back training on the grass and doing the fitness work there which is good progress, the next hurdle for him is kicking a football again.
"We may ask him to spend some time with the youth team as he looks to return to contact training as the physical demands there will be slightly less and will allow him to get back to his football movements without quite as much pressure.
"It has been excellent to see him back out on the grass. He's been a credit to himself because I see him every day in the gym and he's always got a smile on his face and has accepted the challenges.
"He hasn't been daunted by the hard work that lays ahead in terms of getting up to match speed. It's pleasing to see because it can have a strain on you when you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel and every day is like groundhog day and you're not seeing much improvement.
"But in the last two or three weeks, he's noticed an improvement and that's given him encouragement that he's getting closer to the end of his recovery."