Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole could return for the visit of Fulham this weekend after scans revealed that he has not suffered ligament damage.
The tough-tackling midfielder missed the trip to Everton last Saturday after suffering a knee injury in training.
Initial fears were that he could be missing for several weeks, but further tests conducted on Tuesday have given him a "50/50" chance of recovering in time to welcome the Cottagers to the Stadium of Light.
Cattermole tweeted: "Nice phone call off the club doc has made me a very happy lad this evening."
The 24-year-old has made nine appearances for Sunderland in all competitions this season.
