Huddersfield Town manager Danny Cowley has revealed that three of the club's players are all taking positives steps on their road to recovery from injury.

Alex Pritchard hasn't featured for the Terriers since the end of November due to a knee problem, while Jonathan Hogg missed their 2-1 win over Blackburn on Sunday with a hip issue.

Collin Quaner meanwhile has been out with August with a hip injury of his own, meaning he has yet to feature for the Terriers under Cowley, although it appears as though a change to that statistic may not be far away, something the Huddersfield boss seems to be particularly looking forward to.

Speaking to The Examiner about the injury situation around the trio, Cowley said: "Pritch is getting closer by the day, which is great.

"Collin went to see the surgeon in Germany last week and is continuing on the grass just trying to make the tendon a bit stronger. He'll be like a new signing because we haven't had Collin really.

"Hoggy we're hopeful will be back for Stoke which would be massive for us…Jonathan Hogg is like three players for us."

Despite Hogg looking as though he could be in contention to face Stoke on News Year's Day, it seems Cowley is already bracing himself to have to cope without the presence of the midfielder again in the not too distant future for different reasons, as he continued: "He's on nine bookings so that is not ideal either.

"The threshold is 37 games which is quite a long way for Jonathan Hogg…going on previous history I'm not quite sure he's going to get there!"

Following that victory over Blackburn, Huddersfield go into that clash with the Potters 19th in the Championship table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

The Verdict

This looks to be a huge boost to Huddersfield, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

After what was, and still is, a busy Christmas and New Year schedule, the Terriers will surely have some players in need of a break, and the return of the likes of Pritchard and Quaner from long term injuries in particular, will help them to do that.

With the Terriers also putting something of a gap between themselves and the bottom three recently, it does seem as though there are plenty of reasons to be positive around the John Smith's Stadium right now.