Aston Villa ace Albert Adomah has been unable to make an injury comeback in time for Saturday's Championship encounter with Sheffield Wednesday, but manager Steve Bruce is hopeful of his return before the welcome of Queens Park Rangers.
The in-form winger, who boasts of 13 league goals for the Claret and Blue this season, has been sidelined since picking up an injury in the Second City Derby with Birmingham City earlier this month.
He consequently missed games against Fulham and Preston North Ends, but Bruce had held on to admittedly a slight possibility of the 30-year-old recovering in time for Saturday's action.
"It's looking like this weekend has come too early for them [Adomah and Jack Grealish]," the Lions' boss said on Friday.
"But we're hopeful that they can be involved for QPR and Sunderland over the next 10 days.
"That's the aim."
Without hitman Adomah and talisman Grealish, Villa will have to dig deep to claim three points, having lost one and drawn one of their last two games without the influential duo.
"It'll be difficult, obviously," said, Bruce.
"They [Wednesday] are under a new leader now and going in a slightly different direction, having come close to promotion a few years on the spin.
"It's a big club with big history and tradition. But I'm quietly confident that we can go there and get a result.
"It's getting to that part of the season now – in a few weeks we'll be down to single figures.
"It'll soon be all about results and not so much performances, so hopefully we can play well tomorrow on a big stage."
Villa currently sit third on the league log.