Striker Freddie Sears is hoping to make his return to the first team squad for the trip to Portsmouth on the Saturday before Christmas having got back into action with the U23s this afternoon.
Sears, 30, played the first 45 minutes as the U23s were beaten 4-1 by the Lions at The Den having been out with an ACL injury since February.
"I’m obviously delighted to be back on the pitch again,” Sears told the club site. "It’s been a long road back but I came through okay today and I feel really good.
"I took a few tackles and blocks which you don’t really get in training but it was important to get through that physical side of it.
"It’s 23s and there is a big difference in the intensity compared to first-team football but it’s 45 minutes of game time and I’ve got to build up on that now.
"I’m naturally quite fit and I’ve done a lot of work fitness-wise in getting to this point but I need time on the pitch now.
"I think the plan is for me to play for the 23s again next week and then if that all goes fine, hopefully I can be available for the game at Portsmouth before Christmas.”
Sears’s return would be a big boost for the Blues, the former West Ham and Colchester man having scored six goals after Paul Lambert took over as boss in October 2018 before succumbing to his injury four months later.