While most of his team-mates have been enjoying a well-earned break, Tam Scobbie has been putting St Johnstone’s January break to good use.
The Perth defender is getting tantalisingly close to a first team comeback, and has even been listed as a substitute recently.
But he knows that the biggest jump, back into the starting XI, is still to come.
And the next few days could put him in a position to make it.
“The gaffer’s set-up a bounce game for Saturday and he wants to get me involved in a development game on Monday as well if he can get it moved off a plastic pitch,” the former Falkirk man explained.
“If I get through those two games we’ve got three matches in six days after that, and hopefully I’ll be involved in one or two of those.
“I’m sure the boys would have wanted to play as soon as possible after the Hamilton match, but it’s been good for me.
“This free week has definitely helped. I’ve had plenty of training and now I’ve got two games in the next few days leading up to a big week for us.”
Scobbie added: “Hopefully it won’t take me too long to get back to the level I was at before the injury.
“I felt a fair bit away during the first few training sessions.
“But over the last week or so Callum (Davidson) has said I’ve looked a lot sharper. I’ve had specific drills after training as well to get my feet moving.
“Hopefully these two games will get me back up to speed.
“I know it’s a big step from development to first team football but hopefully I can make it.”
Scobbie and Steven MacLean picked up their injuries in the same week, and have helped each other along the road to recovery ever since.
“Macca has come back from his operation well and hopefully it will be the same for me,” the defender said.
“Maybe if Brian hadn’t been suspended and Faddy injured it wouldn’t have happened so soon.
“But, the type of guy he is, he’s put his hand up to say he’d play, and I’d be the same.
“There would be very few who would say ‘no’. The manager wants to make sure everything is perfect before I’m back into first team football. Hopefully that will be as quick as possible.”