Blues manager Kieran McKenna says right-back Harry Clarke is making progress following this summer achilles surgeries.
The 23-year-old underwent a double plantaris removal at the end of last season for injuries which had been hampering him ever since he rejoined the Blues, his boyhood club, from Arsenal in January 2023.
In pre-season, following the Fortuna Düsseldorf friendly, McKenna admitted that Clarke had had a frustrating time with his rehabilitation, but now says things are moving in the right direction.
"He's made some progress, he's started to work outside on the pitch a little bit,” he said. "It's been a tough one for Harry, it's been a frustrating one for him and for us but he's starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully.
"He's worked a couple of sessions out on the grass now. Realistically, he's a good number of weeks away from full training and then, of course, a couple of weeks beyond that before he could be ready for match action. He's making progress but still a fair way away.”