Andre Gomes is set to return to training at Everton.
Gomes suffered a dislocation fracture to his right ankle in the draw against Tottenham in November, an injury that had been expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.
But manager Carlo Ancelotti gave a positive update on Friday on the 26-year-old's recovery.
"Andre Gomes can come back next week and start to train individually here," he said.
"It is good news. He is doing well in his recovery. It is going fast, so I hope as soon as possible he can be with us, because he's a fantastic player."