Cliftonville manager Paddy McLaughlin hopes to have injured Reds left-back Levi Ives back in first team action next month.
Ives sustained an ankle injury in last week’s 2-1 win over Larne at Solitude and was absent for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Ballymena United.
But while the 24-year-old is several weeks away from a return, McLaughlin is relieved the pacey defender doesn’t face an extended spell on the sidelines.
“Levi should be OK,” he said. “I don’t think the damage to his ankle ligaments is as bad as we thought or first feared and hopefully he can be back in the next two or three weeks.
“Normally, an ankle ligament injury can be six to eight weeks, but the signs are he won’t be too long out which is great news because he has been great for us in recent games.”
Ives, who joined Cliftonville in 2015 after leaving Torquay United, endured a frustrating period on the sidelines when he broke a bone in his foot in September 2019.
He returned to action a few months later but suffered a recurrence of the same metatarsal problem at the start of last season.
“Levi has had a terrible time with injuries in recent seasons and it is always sad to see a player of that class and ability missing out on football,” he said.
“It will be a real positive to have him back on the pitch sooner rather than later, because everyone has seen what a vital player he has been for us and how good he is.”
Saturday's 1-0 loss at the Ballymena Showgrounds was Cliftonville's first defeat in 12 outings in all competitions this season.
