Moses Odubajo is hoping to be ready for his Premier League debut for Hull City in November.
The right-back suffered a nasty knee injury in the Tigers' first pre-season friendly against Grimsby but is finally training outside again and plans to be available within the next six weeks.
He has never appeared in the top-flight but was a key part of the club's promotion last term.
"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," the 23-year-old 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."
Odubajo started his career at Leyton Orient, before moving to Brentford and sealed his transfer to Hull in the summer of 2015.