Bristol City boss Lee Johnson has revealed striker Benik Afobe is preparing to step up his recovery from his anterior cruciate ligament injury when he makes his expected return to the club next week.

Afobe joined the Robins on a season-long loan deal from Championship rivals Stoke over the summer, but the frontman was then ruled out for the rest of the season in September after netting three goals in his first five appearances for City.

However, the 27-year-old now appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from the serious injury problem, with Johnson having now confirmed that Afobe is expected to return to City next week as he aims to play a role before the end of the term.

Speaking to Bristol Live, Johnson said Afobe's solid progress means it may not be long before he is back in first-team training, but he conceded that it may still be some time before the striker is able to feature in the league for the Ashton Gate outfit.

"He is looking to come back into the group on Monday," Johnson said.

"I wouldn't expect any sort of Afobe in a matchday shirt yet but what that shows you is he's ready to upgrade his training a little bit on the grass and in the gym."

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Plenty of City supporters responded to this update by expressing their delight at Afobe's potential injury comeback, while others also took the opportunity to urge the club to sign the striker on a permanent deal when his loan expires in the summer.

Here are some of the responses...