Everton midfielder Andre Gomes is due back at the club's Finch Farm training ground next week to begin individual sessions as he steps up his recovery from a serious ankle injury.
Gomes suffered a dislocation fracture to his right ankle in the draw against Tottenham in November.
That injury had been expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.
But manager Carlo Ancelotti gave a positive update on the 26-year-old's recovery on Friday.
"Andre Gomes can come back next week, and start to train individually here," he said.
"It is good news. He is doing well in his recovery. It is going fast so I hope as soon as possible he can be with us, because he's a fantastic player."
Gomes suffered the horror injury when he fell awkwardly following a challenge from Tottenham's Son Heung-min late in their 1-1 draw on 3 November.
Referee Martin Atkinson initially produced a yellow card for a distraught Son after the incident but upgraded it to red when he saw the seriousness of the injury, though Tottenham later successfully appealed against the decision.
The encouraging news on the popular midfielder's recovery will come as a significant boost for Everton given their problems in midfield, with summer signing Jean-Pierre Gbamin having been sidelined since August with a thigh problem.
The Merseyside club are currently 11th in the Premier League table, five points above the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti rubbished reports suggesting he was looking to replace England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the transfer window.
"If there's the possibility to improve our squad, then that is what we're going to do," the Italian said.
"I cannot mention names but all the names in the paper are wrong. There are no specific areas. We are not looking for a goalkeeper.
"We want a player that can improve the quality of the squad."
But one player who has departed Everton temporarily is striker Cenk Tosun.
Crystal Palace announced the addition of the Turkey international on Friday on a deal until the end of the season and he could make his debut in Saturday's home fixture with Arsenal.
Tosun has struggled to replicate his excellent form for Besiktas at Goodison Park, with the forward netting 10 times in 51 appearances for the Toffees.
