Ipswich Town manager Paul Cook has confirmed that Sone Aluko is set to be available for selection for Sunday's showdown with Crewe Alexandra.
Signed by the Tractor Boys in the summer transfer window, the winger has managed to produce some impressive performances for the club this season.
However, after making his 10th appearance of the 2021/22 campaign against Sunderland earlier this month, Aluko missed the club's clash with Rotherham United on Tuesday due to personal reasons.
In Aluko's absence, Ipswich were unable to deliver a response to their defeat to the Black Cats as they were beaten by the Millers at Portman Road.
As a result of this setback, the Tractor Boys slipped to 13th in the League One standings.
Currently eight points adrift of the play-off places, Ipswich will need to step up their performance levels over the Christmas period if they are to have any chance of achieving promotion to the Championship next year.
Set to face a Crewe side who have lost 11 of their 19 league games this season, the Tractor Boys will be desperate to get back on track by sealing all three points in this weekend's showdown.
Ahead of this fixture, Cook has shared an update on Aluko.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference (as cited by Ipswich's official website) about the winger, Cook said: "Sone will be back with us this weekend.
"He's back in training this morning."
The Verdict
This is unquestionably a positive update for Ipswich as Aluko has shown glimpses of his talent in the third-tier this season.
Particularly impressive during the club's clashes with Cambridge United and Portsmouth, the 32-year-old managed to find the back of the net in both of these fixtures as he recorded WhoScored match ratings of 8.11 and 7.93.
Having failed to score in his last four league games, Aluko will be determined to add to his tally this weekend.
When you consider that Crewe have only managed to keep two clean-sheets in League One this season, Sunday's clash could turn out to be a high-scoring affair if Ipswich are able to step up to the mark at Portman Road.