Socceroos defender Bailey Wright should return to action for Preston North End later this month after undergoing minor groin surgery.
The 22-year-old, a surprise inclusion in Australia's squad for the World Cup earlier this year, hasn't played for the League One side since October.
Preston manager Simon Grayson opted not to nominate a specific date for Wright's return but expects to have the centre-back available soon enough.
"The medical team were really happy with how Bailey's operation went," Grayson was quoted as saying by the Lancashire Evening Post.
"He's doing all his rehab work and we will keep moving him along nicely.
"There is no time scale on it but I would say he's at least a couple of weeks away from a return."
Speaking earlier this month, the Preston manager revealed Wright had been carrying an issue since going to Brazil with the national team.
"We got to the point where we decided that something needed to be done for the long term," Grayson said.
"It was an injury he picked up with Australia at the World Cup and he battled on with.
"At times Bailey wasn't doing himself justice with his performance.
"He will out for a few weeks rather than months, it was a tidy-up of the groin area.
"We could have kept him ticking over at 80 percent but somewhere down the line it was going to cause a problem."
It has been an eventful 2014 for the World Cup bolter, who - along with several team-mates - was cleared by police after an investigation into spot-fixing allegations.
He made a goal-scoring full international debut for Australia in a 3-2 win over Saudi Arabia in London in September, but must now prove his fitness ahead of the Asian Cup on home soil in January.
Preston meanwhile, who lost in the play-off semi-finals last season, are second in League One after 16 matches of the campaign.