Hull defender Moses Odubajo hopes to be ready for Premier League debut next month.
The right-back suffered a nasty knee injury in the Tigers' first preseason friendly against Grimsby but is finally training outside again and plans to be available before November is out.
He has never appeared in the top-flight before but was a key part of the club's promotion last term and would be a major boost to Mike Phelan's squad.
"It's a huge boost to be going back outside to work every morning. I feel like a footballer again, even though I'm not back to the playing stage yet," he told the club's official website.
"We have a fantastic medical team here and it feels like a blessing to be back to the stage I'm at now. I'm progressing really well and I think I've got about another month to go. Hopefully by the next international break I'll be in and around things, which is good.
"I went to see the surgeon last week and he gave the all-clear to get back outside with no real restrictions. It's a case now of trying to get back to where I was before in terms of fitness and taking it from there."
