Cardiff City playmaker Rubin Colwill is finally back in contention ahead of the club's trip to Sunderland this weekend in a timely boost to both Bluebirds fans and the player's World Cup hopes with Wales.
Colwill's season has been hit badly by injury troubles, which has been a big hindrance to Cardiff's start to the season. It was hoped the 20-year-old would play a huge part for the Bluebirds this season, but with a third of the campaign already having passed us by, he has been unable to make any meaningful impact.
The youngster has been struggling most recently with a hip-flexor injury, which has compounded his growing pains over the last few months, and he has been sidelined since he fell in training following his return to Cardiff the day after Wales' September camp.
Cardiff are yet to play a single match with what many fans would consider their best front four: Callum O'Dowda, Callum Robinson, Jaden Philogene and Rubin Colwill. That is a big problem and one that has played a part in the Bluebirds being sub-par at that end of the pitch, one suspects.
With the Bluebirds having lost 2-1 to Watford on Wednesday night, being undone by two set pieces, they need to start picking up points in the three remaining games before the World Cup break.
That stretch begins up at Sunderland this weekend and Hudson has confirmed that Colwill will be pushing to be included in the travelling squad up to the north east after recovering from his most recent issue.
"He is on the grass now," Hudson said of Colwill. "He has been on the grass since Monday, he has been with the physios Monday and Tuesday and then he will be looking to get back within the squad in the next few days.
"He is pushing. He feels good, which is great. He is back where we needed him to be and where he needed to be. He will be on the grass from Thursday onwards."
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It was beginning to feel like something of a race against time pertaining to the World Cup, with the clock ticking loudly ahead of Rob Page's squad announcement in Tylorstown next Wednesday. You can read more about that here.
The thought of taking Colwill, admittedly a fringe player in Wales' set up, to Qatar with no game-time under his belt and some niggling injury concerns might have caused Page to think twice. However, the Wales boss' fears will be allayed if Colwill returns to fitness and manages to get some minutes in the tank over the next 10 days or so.
As for Cardiff's other crocked players, it looks like fans will have to wait until December at the earliest to see them, with Hudson believing neither Isaak Davies nor Ebou Adams will have any game time before the mid-season break.
"Isaak and Ebs, I don't see them getting game-time before the World Cup, but they are back on the grass, which is pleasing," he added.
"Isaak is stepping up his rehab on the grass, with the physios, and he has dipped in and out of some training sessions. But he has been out for a while, he is not to be rushed.
"Ebs has completed a lot of his protocols that he has to go through. He is another one we have to push through the World Cup and we look forward to seeing him when he's back."
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