Henry Shefflin made a surprise return to training in front of 8,000 Kilkenny fans at Nowlan Park on Wednesday night.
Just two days after Kilkenny defeated Cork in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final Shefflin was told that his season was over after he severed his medial ligament with Cats boss Brian Cody insisting it would take a miracle for the All-Star to be ready in time for the September 5 decider.
However, that miracle looks to have happened with Shefflin making a dramatic return to training on Wednesday night with thousands on hand to watch him being put through his paces at Nowlan Park.
There was a further boost for Kilkenny's five-in-a-row bid with John Tennyson and Tommy Walsh both training, although Brian Hogan was forced to end his involvement early after suffering a hand injury.