Hull City midfielder Robert Snodgrass has revealed that he is "three or four weeks away" from a return to first-team action.
The 28-year-old was struck down by a cruel injury on the opening day of last season which has kept him sidelined for 14 months.
Having featured just three times for the Tigers since joining in a £7m deal from Norwich City, Snodgrass is now working "crazy hours" in the hope of being involved against against Middlesbrough on November 7.
"I am still about three or four weeks away from getting back involved in regular training, although they have been changing the plan week on week with how well I have been progressing," he told The Herald. "They are actually quite optimistic about putting me in with the first team in the next four or weeks or so.
"Of course there were always possibilities, people telling you these games are coming up or those games are coming up. But in the grand scheme of things, it is your health, and whether it is day by day, or week by week, you just need to keep ticking off the boxes.
"I am approaching each day of rehab the best I can, working crazy hours to get to the stage where I am now, where I feel sharp, strong and ready to go back into a Hull side which is going to be fighting at the top of the table."
Snodgrass spent two years at Carrow Road before making a switch to Hull last summer.