Aberdeen winger Matty Kennedy has today returned to training to end six months of injury hell.
Northern Ireland international Kennedy, 27, has been ruled out all season by a back injury.
Kennedy’s last Dons appearance was as a substitute in a 1-0 loss at Hibs on May 1 last season.
Dons manager Stephen Glass confirmed the winger has today returned to light training.
Kennedy is scheduled to resume full training next week.
However, Glass warned that if the Dons, on a three-game winning streak, maintain their form Kennedy is unlikely to feature before the winter break.
The Premiership enters a three-week shutdown following Aberdeen’s trip to Ross County on January 2.
Glass said: “Matty will be training with us today lightly and will do the passing and the warm up.
“Then he will build in to full training by the end of next week I think.
“Whether he plays before the break is another matter.
“If the team keep winning, the likelihood is no.
“However, for him to be available would be brilliant.”
Back injury discovered this summer
Kennedy played 39 times last season, but has not managed a minute of first team action this campaign.
The winger signed on at the Dons in January 2020 from St Johnstone on a three-and-a-half-year contract until summer 2023.
Glass said: “Matty had a back injury that we didn’t know he had in the summer.
“He had been carrying it since last season unknowingly.
“He missed a little bit of training and we wondered what was going on.
“Then he got scanned and he had a back issue.
“There was a concern that he needed to have rest to fix it.”