Sheffield Wednesday right-back Frank Simek is edging closer to a long-awaited first team return following a good run out for the Owls second string.
The American played 70 minutes of a hard-fought 1-0 win for the reserves against Port Vale on Wednesday and came through the encounter unscathed.
Simek picked up a serious injury against Crystal Palace in December 2007 and has only made 2 starts since then.
Given the length of time Simek has been sidelined for it would be a surprise to see him start the game against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Owls will be without Lewis Buxton for that game through suspension but Richard Hinds could keep his place following a positive personal display in the disappointing team performance against Barnsley and Mark Beevers could return to the fold.
Akpo Sodje did not feature in Wednesday's reserve game, which may mean that a first team return is not as close as some may have expected but Sean McAllister was given an hour. This may have been used as a chance to sharpen up his match fitness ahead of the weekend's game with James O'Connor having had a dip in form in recent games.