It has been four months since Luke Shaw suffered a horror leg break in Manchester United's Champions Cup loss to PSV Eindhoven.
United boss Louis van Gaal has never given a comeback date for left-back, but he was always hopeful of welcoming him back before the end of the season.
That appeared to be a slim hope, over Christmas, as the Dutchman could not report any significant progress.
However, in the lead-up to United's league clash with Liverpool, van Gaal had some positive news to report.
He told
MUTV: "Shaw was with his surgeon and everything is going well.
"His bone is growing and that is very positive. He could return ahead of schedule, yes."
"But when I say that," van Gaal added, "then everybody thinks he is coming back within three months and it is not like that, you cannot say that. He needs time.
"At this moment he is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation, but there are also weeks when he is slow."
A mid-April return would see Shaw in line for five league fixtures and, were United to reach the latter stages, possible FA Cup or Europa League duty.
