Centre-half Ben Turner could make a shock return to Cardiff City’s matchday squad for this Saturday’s clash with Reading.
The big defender has made fast progress over the last couple of weeks and manager Russell Slade says: “Ben has taken part in a couple of training sessions and with a couple more to go he has an outside chance.
“It has been good to see the progress he has made and we are confident he will be back playing Championship football before the end of this season.”
Slade’s medical team will put Turner through his paces in training sessions on Thursday and Friday before making a final assessment to see if he is ready to be involved.
Striker Joe Mason, too, could be included in the 18-man squad at Reading, while full-back Lee Peltier is fit again and looks likely to start at right-back.
The big shock, though, is that Turner is regaining fitness fast. He damaged ankle ligaments during the FA Cup tie against Reading in January, a tie the Royals won 2-1 on their way to a semi-final place against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, April 18.
It was thought Turner would miss the rest of this season, but he has worked hard with the club’s medical team and shocked City coaches with his rate of progress.
Striker Mason, 23, hasn’t played for Cardiff for 14 months, while his last goal for the Bluebirds was during a 3-0 win against Blackburn Rovers at home during April 2013.
He was recalled from his loan spell at Bolton after suffering a serious hamstring injury and Cardiff manager Russell Slade is keen to see Mason in Bluebirds action between now and the end of this season.
Plymouth-born Mason, who joined Cardiff four years ago, has made played in two matches since being given the go-ahead to rejoin the first team squad for full training.
Both Mason and South African international Kagisho Dikgacoi, who has made only three first team appearances since his free transfer move from Crystal Palace, played 45 minutes for Cardiff in a development league match at Brentford.
They have also come through two half hour sessions during an internal training game.
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