Brentford striker Igor Thiago is reportedly on course to return to action by March.
The club's record signing has endured an injury nightmare since he completed a £30m from Belgian side Club Brugge in the summer.
Thiago picked up a knee injury in pre-season, delaying his competitive debut until November's goalless draw with Everton.
The Brazilian went on to feature in three more Premier League matches, before he was forced back to the sidelines due to a knee infection.
As a result, he has not played a competitive game since he started December's 4-2 victory over Newcastle United at the Gtech Community Stadium.
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Brentford learn Thiago return date
According to The Standard, the forward is hoping to put his injury issues behind him and return to action by next month.
The report claims that Thiago is on course to return to training this month, with the striker looking to build up his fitness to make himself available for selection in March.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank will be eagerly anticipating Thiago's return, having relied heavily on Yoane Wissa as his main centre-forward option this season.
While Wissa is likely to remain Brentford's first-choice striker, Thiago will offer a potential game-changing option from the bench when he eventually returns to the fold.
Thiago will be keen to showcase his goalscoring credentials before the end of the season after netting 29 goals in 55 matches with Club Brugge.
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Nunes behind Thiago in injury recovery
The same report states that Gustavo Nunes is behind Thiago in his recovery from a back injury, with the summer signing still waiting to make his Brentford debut.
Nunes, who joined the Bees from Gremio, remains unavailable for selection after his recovery from a stress fracture was pushed back following the discovery of a second fracture.
The 19-year-old is working on his rehabilitation process in the hope that he can make his debut for the club before the season is out.
Meanwhile, the Bees are also without the services of Josh Dasilva, Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey, while goalkeeper Mark Flekken missed the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month with an injury issue.
Brentford, who occupy 11th place in the Premier League table, will be in action on Saturday when they travel to the London Stadium for a meeting with West Ham United.
