Crewe Alexandra boss Steve Davis has revealed that injured defender Harry Davis is "progressing well" and is likely to be back in action ahead of schedule.
The club captain has not featured since damaging his knee against Walsall at the back end of last month.
Davis was initially ruled out for around two months in order to undergo intensive rehabilitation, but the 24-year-old is on course to hand his manager a big fitness boost well in advance of the busy festive fixture list.
"Harry is progressing well and he is getting that strength back in relation to the knee," Steve Davis told the club's official website. "He has been working morning and afternoon with the medical staff and he remains very much on schedule.
"He will be hoping to get back before his initial six to eight weeks target because that is the type of player he is, but we will be cautious with him and make sure he is 100% ready to come back into it.
"He is on track though and it has happened a lot this season that we have lost key players in key positions when they have been doing well."
Davis has featured just four times for Crewe this season due to his injury problem.