Manchester City striker Valeri Bojinov could be available next month.

"Boji is working with the fitness coaches," City boss Mark Hughes told the club's website, "he's out on the training pitches every day but he's not with the rest of the group because he is not quite there.

"We're pleased with the way he has come back, he's very strong around the injury. His cardiovascular work is down because he has missed so much training, so we'll try to improve that part of him. We are hopeful that in the next two or three weeks he will be able to start in group sessions, and that we can get him back in February."

Valeri's countryman Martin Petrov will be absent for a while longer, but is also showing good signs in his recovery from a knee injury picked up while on international duty in October.

The Manager continues, "Martin is going to be a little bit longer, but he is a fit guy and given his physique and his frame I imagine he will get back to playing fitness very quickly.

"Ideally we would have both those players available, but they are well on the road to recovery."