Newcastle United star Matt Ritchie has undergone a small operation on his ankle.
Ritchie sustained a nasty ankle injury after a heavy challenge from Hamza Choudhury in the League Cup clash against Leicester City in August and has not returned to the first-team picture since.
Ritchie had been training with the Magpies and Steve Bruce was encouraged by his progress.
But after further assessments it was decided to clear up the area around his ankle with the operation, meaning a potential later return to the field.
The Scotland player at least has a free fortnight to recover in the international break.
Ritchie is itching to get back on to the field and watched the 1-0 win against Manchester United from the Press box on Sunday as he wanted to be as close to the action as possible.
He is walking ably and will continue to be assessed, but it remains to be seen whether he is back for the next Premier League game against Chelsea after the break.
The home clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers or the November trip to West Ham's London Stadium could be more realistic.
Yet given the way Ritchie has battled back quickly from previous injuries, Bruce is staying optimistic about the influential winger's return date.
