Brian O'Driscoll and Girvan Dempsey are making good progress from respective injuries and have both been included in the Leinster squad to face Edinburgh in Friday's Heineken Cup clash at the RDS.
O'Driscoll, was forced to retire after 30 minutes during last Friday's game against Munster after damaging his ankle and later left the ground on crutches.
Dempsey, who missed the last two victories over over the Ospreys and Munster through injury, also joins a squad which includes Shane Horgan, who has scored three tries in the last four games.
"Girv has been out doing some running and kicking, so he's looking ok," said coach Michael Cheika. "But we don't want to aggravate that, so we'll wait and see how he comes up later in the week.
"We'll assess Brian this afternoon and with a bit more intensity on Wednesday to see (if he has gotten over) the pressure in his foot and in his ankle.
"If a guy like Brian says that he can't run out when you know that he'd run all day for you, you make the change and see how the assessment goes.
"When players leave grounds on crutches you tend to fear the worst because of the visual, but he has come up pretty well. He trained this morning in the gym so hopefully he'll be a starter."
Man of the Match from Friday's win in Cork Malcolm O'Kelly is included in a strong-looking panel which includes fellow international forwards Leo Cullen, Jamie Heaslip, Bernard Jackman and Shane Jennings.
Also included in the squad are Stan Wright, Ollie le Roux and Ireland 'A' back row Stephen Keogh who made his return from injury.
The extended squad which will be reduced to a final 22 on Thursday lunchtime.
"Conditions were tough and it was a real forward battle," said Cheika of the Munster game. "Because the game was so tight and the intensity was there, it also takes a lot out of you mentally.
"That's part of what we do here; getting the players to return to a good physical condition and a good mental condition as soon as possible after games.
"Part of the test this week (against Edinburgh) is making sure we're switched on to improving our performance. It was good to have a couple of wins but if you stay still, people will overtake you.
"Everyone's acutely aware that we have to put that Munster game behind us pretty quickly, which I think we did yesterday.
"I think they're (Edinburgh) going to come and try to smash us.
They'll come here with no inhibitions."
Leinster squad
Forwards(14): Juan Gomez, Cian Healy, Ollie le Roux, Brian Blaney, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Knoop, Stan Wright, Leo Cullen, Cameron Jowitt, Malcolm O'Kelly, Keith Gleeson, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Jamie Heaslip
Backs (12):Chris Keane, Cillian Willis, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Sexton, Christian Warner, Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll, Gary Brown, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Rob Kearney, Girvan Dempsey
