Fulham boss Mark Hughes is hoping Moussa Dembele will be fit for next week's game with West Bromwich Albion.
Dembele has been sidelined since the middle of November with an ankle injury and has not featured during Fulham's Christmas programme.
The Belgian striker is unlikely to return for the New Year's Day derby at Tottenham Hotspur, but could be in contention for the visit of West Brom next midweek.
"We've have some good news on Moussa Dembele," Hughes said. "He looks better than he has done for a number of weeks so we're hopeful.
"He may not be ready for the weekend but we're hopeful for the West Brom game next Tuesday."
Hughes also confirmed that Bobby Zamora, who has been out since September with a broken leg, is ready to take the next step in his recovery process.
He added: "Bobby is stepping up his training. We hope to involve him in warm-ups at some point next week. That's the next part of his rehab and his progress is going well.
"We're going to keep him in and around the group now. Along with his ability as a player his personality has been missed.
"It will be the end of January or the start of February before he is available for selection. The sooner we get him back the better."