Striker Lewis Grabban continues to be a positive influence on his Nottingham Forest teammates while sidelined with injury.
But boss Steve Cooper hopes he will soon be able to have the same impact on the pitch again.
The club captain has been out of action since the end of January after suffering an ankle sprain in the 2-1 defeat at Cardiff City.
Although he did not need surgery, as was initially feared, Grabban was still expected to be absent for about two months.
Cooper says the front man is on course in his recovery, and is hopeful he will be able to link up with the group again shortly after the upcoming international break.
“He’s getting there. He’s on course, for sure,” the Reds head coach said ahead of Saturday’s clash at home to Reading.
“Hopefully soon after the international break we’ll be seeing him again.
“Fingers crossed that stays the plan.
“He’s making good progress and is still very visible around the place, getting his work done.
“It shouldn’t be too long now, hopefully.”
“He’s the captain, so I know - and I would hope - he’s still being as positive in the dressing room as he can be,” Cooper added.
“He’s frustrated that he’s injured, and sometimes the injured boys are on a slightly different schedule to make sure they get the right work done and it doesn’t clash too much with the training or playing group.
“No player wants to be injured. But it’s not the first injury he’s had, so he knows how to look after himself. He knows his body really well.
“Hopefully sooner rather than later we see him back with us, ready to play games.”
