Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce is convinced Mikael Forssell can recapture his best form this season.
The Finnish international netted twice for Blues during their 5-2 win over FC Schweinfurt in Bavaria on Monday to take his pre-season goal tally to four.
Forssell has been dogged by injury problems for the past three seasons and his days at the club appeared numbered.
Bruce said: "Everyone knows the contribution Mikael made in that first season here when he was initially on loan from Chelsea and to score 17 Premiership goals was a fantastic achievement.
"It was really the only season in the Premiership where we didn't struggle to score goals and we finished 10th after being in the top six for much of the time.
"We brought in Emile Heskey to partner him at the start of the next season but since then Mikael has had so many setbacks and you have really felt the lad who is a smashing fellow. He has had to be mentally tough.
"But what is really heartening at the moment is how he is performing. I'm a bit wary saying it but he looks something like the Mikael Forssell we know he can be.
"Maybe not rushing him back last year after he had surgery in October, and giving him all the time he needed to recover, has possibly helped.
"I know he's worked tremendously hard with our medical and fitness people so let's hope things start to go for him.
"If they do, and he continues as he has started the pre-season, then we've got a class act on our hands.
"It looks to me as if, for the first time in a long time, he is pain-free. If he isn't, then he is certainly disguising it well."
