Bolton Wanderers boss Owen Coyle admits he is delighted with Gary Cahill's recovery but insists he won't rush the Trotters star's return.
Cahill has been out of action since early February after suffering a blood clot in his arm and reports have suggested he could return to face Everton when Bolton travel to Goodison Park on Saturday.
The centre-half was on the fringes of the England squad at the time of his injury and will be eager to return to first-team football to boost his slim chances of a call-up to the World Cup, but Coyle says he won't be rushing his star man back into action until he is convinced he is ready.
"Gary would love to have played last week before he trained. But that is the man he is. He wants to get his career back on track," Coyle said. "What I have to do is make sure it is the right time for him to come in. Sometimes you have to rein them in a little bit because they are so keen to get out there.
"But I have to make sure if and when Gary comes back into the team it is for the remainder of the season. In the condition he's in that's not too far away.
"He has trained ever so well to a very high standard of which I have come to expect of him. I have been delighted.
"Saturday might be too soon for him but he is continuing in the right direction.
"That is a tremendous boost for Gary, the club and I would suggest England. It is up to him once he is back in a Bolton shirt to show his qualities and take it from there."
Coyle may opt to hand Cahill a place on the bench for the trip to Goodison, the Wanderers boss also have the option of recalling Sam Ricketts to partner Zat Knight in the heart of the Bolton defence as the Welshman has now served his suspension following his sending off against Sunderland.