Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer suggested he will need to make a late call over whether forward Lyle Taylor makes his injury return against Cardiff City over the weekend.

Taylor has been out of action since suffering a knee ligament injury while on international duty in early September, but it now appears he is edging closer to a return after more than two months on the sidelines.

The 29-year-old talisman was a key member during the Addicks' promotion push last term out of League One last term, while he netted five times during his side's first six games of the Championship season prior to his injury.

Bowyer's side have maintained their spot in the top half of the Championship table during his absence, but they will be desperate to get Taylor back fit in order to relieve Macauley Bonne of the goalscoring burden at The Valley.

It was hoped Taylor would have made his comeback by now, but an injection caused a slight delay to his injury recovery and Bowyer has now claimed he will need to make a late decision over whether the forward features against Cardiff.

“He’s got a bit of tightness somewhere and it’s just going to be a case of trying to manage him this week and seeing how he goes,” Bowyer told South London Press.

“Whether he makes it or not is touch and go. I’m going to try everything in my power to try and get him ready.”

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The Verdict

It is now a matter of urgency that Taylor returns from his injury lay-off as Charlton are in need of a confidence boost following back-to-back defeats against Preston and Millwall prior to the international break.

The forward's early-season form proved how important he is to Bowyer's side and, while Bonne has been in solid goalscoring form since replacing Taylor in the side, he is not quite at the same level as the Montserrat international.

It would be a big boost for Charlton to have Taylor back fit to start in the Cardiff match, but even his presence on the bench would be a big plus as this would show he is very much nearing his full return.