ALLAN McGregor is in contention for a shock recall to lift Hull City ahead of their crucial Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Scotland international has been sidelined since the end of October with a thigh injury and was initially told he would face up to six weeks out of action.
That outlook had McGregor ruled out until December but heartening progress over the international break has seen the goalkeeper come bouncing back towards full fitness.
A final decision over McGregor's inclusion this weekend is unlikely to come until Friday and any fitness reservations would leave the door open for the dependable Steve Harper to continue in goal.
But McGregor appears certain to be in Steve Bruce's planning for a weekend date with strugglers Crystal Palace.
The City boss explained: "We're hopeful Allan can be ready. He's been able to train as normal, saving and taking crosses, but it's just his kicking that we're careful of.
"That's where the problem was to start with but he's been feeling a lot better with it.
"We'll be testing him towards the end of the week before we make a decision but he's certainly in our thoughts."
Harper's solid form during three Premier League games as deputy negates the need to rush McGregor this weekend, but the Scot's influence was felt during a run of eight consecutive starts to begin the campaign.
Signed from Turkish side Besiktas for £1.6m this summer, McGregor quickly justified his place as City's number one with three clean-sheets in eight Premier League games. Only when a long-standing thigh complaint flared up in the 2-1 defeat at Everton was his ever-present league record ended.
The injury has since been carefully managed and the reward could be a return to action two weeks earlier than first anticipated when news of his lay-off broke on October 24.
With influential winger Robbie Brady also expected to be welcomed back into the starting line-up to face Palace after his hernia troubles, and defender James Chester expected back in full training in the coming days, City's injury woes are beginning to clear ahead of a hectic finale to 2013.
Only Sone Aluko is now considered a long-term absentee, ruled out until February with an Achilles problem, but he could be joined in the short term by midfielder Stephen Quinn.
The 27-year-old suffered a hamstring strain while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland and returned to East Yorkshire for scans this week after not being considered for the opening two friendlies of Martin O'Neill's reign.
The injury is believed to be a recurrence of the one that ruled Quinn out of the opening weeks of the campaign and it appears highly unlikely he will rushed back to face Palace, especially given the availability of Brady, George Boyd and Robert Koren.
"I don't think Quinny will be available for the weekend," added Bruce.
"It's a bit of a concern to us but we'll not know more until we have a good look at it. I'm not sure he's recovered 100 per cent from the injury he picked up in Germany (in pre-season) so it's important that we get it right."
