Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has revealed that Ryan Taylor will return to training in "three or four weeks".
The 30-year-old was withdrawn in the first half of the Magpies' 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers last weekend on what was his first Premier League start in 32 months.
It was initially feared that Taylor would face another lengthy spell on the sidelines, although Pardew believes that the midfielder could return before the end of the year.
"We expect Ryan Taylor to be back training in three or four weeks," he told reporters this afternoon. "His injury is not as bad as we first feared.
"We've had a terrible run of injuries but have kept the winning run going, and that is testament to the squad."
Last weekend's slender win at St James' Park was Newcastle's sixth on the bounce in all competitions.