MATTY Fryatt's long-awaited return can provide Hull City with a timely injection of impetus for the Championship promotion run-in, according to team-mate James Chester.
Fryatt was set for his first taste of action in almost eight months tomorrow afternoon in a friendly at Birmingham City.
But the behind-closed-doors game was called off today.
Despite that, Fryatt has been making encouraging progress in three weeks of full training with the Tigers, and the 27-year-old will hope to feature in the automatic promotion race's final weeks.
The prospect of welcoming Fryatt back into the fold is heaven-sent for a high-flying City side which has only returned four goals from their last five games.
And Chester, a team-mate for the last two years, believes the striker's return can offer a "massive" boost as the Tigers attempt to clinch second spot.
"We know what a proven goalscorer Matty is, so to have him back could be a massive lift for us," he told the Mail.
"The goals he scored last season were very important in a season where we didn't score too many.
"Even when we weren't always creating that many chances, Matty was the player still scoring goals.
"To have him in and around the squad for the run-in could be a big advantage for us."
It is Fryatt's impressive goalscoring record with the Tigers that provides Chester with optimism.
Since arriving at the KC Stadium from Leicester City for £1.2m in January 2011, Fryatt has bagged 25 goals in 60 Championship starts for City. The last two seasons have both ended with the Nuneaton-born striker topping the club's goalscoring charts.
Despite his proven talents at this level, City will continue to treat the final steps of Fryatt's rehabilitation from his Achilles injury with care.
He may press for a place on the bench when City travel to Ipswich Town on Saturday, but a start remains out of the question for now.
Time is not on Fryatt's side with just 25 days of the regular season left, but Chester has already seen signs of the forward's predatory instincts.
"Obviously, it will take him time to get up to full speed but maybe you don't need to be so fit when you don't step out of the box!" joked Chester.
"It's just nice to see him back. He's almost been forgotten he's been out for so long, but he seems to have picked up where he left off in training.
"He's chopping people to death and putting the ball in the back of the net, so it's a nice sight."
Fryatt's return to fitness is the one ray of light in a difficult period of injury problems for the Tigers.
Having already lost Paul McShane and Jack Hobbs to ankle injuries, both Alex Bruce and Gedo are struggling for this weekend's trip to Portman Road. David Meyler, who was suspended against Watford and Middlesbrough, will be available.
