Birmingham City boss Chris Hughton is looking for returning forward Nikola Zigic to make a big impact for the club.
The Serbian striker has not played since April because of nagging groin and hip problems but is closing in on a comeback after having surgery in the off-season.
Hughton feels that Zigic can be an important player in the Championship after scoring five times and being an important target man in the top flight last term.
"Yes, he can be a danger in the Championship. I think he's been a big miss," he told the Birmingham Mail.
"He's a player who was brought in at a particular value and when you bring in a player like him, you want him available.
"Particularly in the position he plays, it's such an important position.
"He's trained for a decent period now and he's been involved in training games.
"He is a good player on the floor, but he will have a physical presence as well and can bring others into the game.
"You are always going to miss players of that quality.
"I haven't had the chance to work with him a lot, because he missed that period in pre-season, but he was brought in for a reason and there's no doubt he's a quality player.
"If I look at the level he's used to, an international, that tells you.
"We're very much looking forward to getting down to some real work with him and, of course, including him in games."
