Carlisle United have received some upbeat news on the injury that is keeping Josh Vela on the sidelines.
The midfielder does not, after all, require surgery on the knee problem that has finished his season.
It means the experienced campaigner can look forward to being ready for the start of pre-season despite fears he could be out for longer.
January signing Vela, 30, has been out since the home defeat to Reading in early March, the injury curtailing his seven-game start to life with the Cumbrians following his transfer window switch.
After a delayed meeting with a specialist on Thursday, things are now clearer on the ex-Fleetwood Town man’s route back.
“He doesn't need surgery,” said manager Paul Simpson.
“The cartilage has just settled back down again. We've got to just build it up.
“Now, he’s still not going to play again this season. But the fact he doesn't need surgery means that he'll be fit to start pre-season at the end of June.
“He’d have been struggling [for then] if it had been surgery. So that’s a massive positive.
“We haven’t had a lot of positives lately, being honest. And that’s a huge boost for us.”
United are also hoping for good news on Taylor Charters despite his first-half substitution in the 3-1 win at Peterborough United.
The Cumbrian midfielder felt some discomfort in his hamstring and Simpson said hopefully he was brought off before the problem got worse.
“That’s what we're hoping,” said Simpson.
“He said he just felt it tighten up.
“We had a few going down with cramp as well, so we'll need to check everybody tomorrow and see what we've got going into Monday's game [against Lincoln City].”
United will tomorrow face a Lincoln side in strong form after four straight wins which have taken them into the play-off zone in sixth – a spell which has seen Michael Skubala’s side score 17 goals.
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