Goalkeeper Conor Hazard is set to return to the Plymouth Argyle matchday squad for the visit of Peterborough United to Home Park on Saturday.
The 27-year-old has been out of action since he suffered a knee ligament injury playing in an international fixture for Northern Ireland against Denmark in Copenhagen in early June.
Luca Ashby-Hammond has been Argyle's keeper for all 11 of their competitive games at the start of this season and is expected to retain his place against Peterborough, with Hazard on the bench and likely to make his playing comeback in the Vertu Trophy group stage game at home to Tottenham Hotspur under-21s next Tuesday.
That game against Tottenham could see left-back Jack MacKenzie, the summer signing from Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen, finally make his debut for Argyle after being sidelined since pre-season by a knee issue.
Meanwhile, Jamie Paterson is also on the verge of returning from a calf injury which has kept him out of action since mid-August, but the Vertu Trophy tie might come just too soon for him to be involved.
Argyle will be without captain Joe Edwards against Peterborough as he starts a three-match League One suspension after his red card in the 3-2 victory over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road last weekend. The 34-year-old will be able to play against Tottenham under-21s though.
Head coach Tom Cleverley said: "Conor should be in the squad on Saturday. A good character and a leader to have around, especially when you miss Joe for three games."
Edwards was sent-off in the 50th minute against Luton, with the score at 2-2, after he slid in to make a tackle on Millenic Alli. Despite this setback for the Pilgrims they were able to go on and win 3-2 after a goal from Bradley Ibrahim.
Cleverley said: "It's one of those that I think pretty much everyone in the stadium would say it's not a red card. He has not gone out to hurt the guy. He has not hurt the guy.
"I think there was a certain Luton midfielder flying into tackles all day unpunished. We try and make the referee's job easier as a team, we don't surround him, and maybe the way that their players reacted helped getting Joe sent-off. So not happy with that decision but is it one that we would get overturned (on an appeal)? I'm not sure."
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