One month after his last Middlesbrough appearance, Aidan Morris is in line for a potential return on Boxing Day.

Morris has continued team training after being sidelined since November 25 with a knee injury, manager Kim Hellberg confirmed Tuesday ahead of Friday’s showdown with Blackburn Rovers. The American midfielder hasn’t been confirmed yet to feature this week, but is trending upward for a possible return before 2025 ends.

“Aidan is back in training with us,” Hellberg said in a press conference. “But he’s been away for a time. He’s training and did a very good session. What is in full training and what isn’t? That’s difficult to say.

“He’s a very good player, you can see that,” Hellberg added. “But I have been very impressed by the players who have been playing there. Browney [Alan Browne], Gilly [Alex Gilbert] and Hayden [Hackney] have been very, very good.”

Morris, 24, has made 18 appearances for Middlesbrough this season across all competitions. The former Columbus Crew midfielder has added two assists in Championship play, retaining his starting spot before twisting his knee against Coventry City in late-November.

Morris impressed during his first season on Teesside, logging 37 appearances under Rob Edwards following his move from MLS. His positive run in the English second-tier has boosted Morris’ role with the U.S. men’s national team, with the veteran midfielder logging nine caps over the past 24 months.

Hellberg will hope to have Morris back on Friday at the Riverside Stadium, as Middlesbrough seeks a return to winning ways. Middlesbrough’s recent four-match winning run was snapped in a 2-0 loss to Bristol City, keeping them six points back of league-leading Coventry City.