Carlton captain Chris Judd is back in full flight on the training track after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder earlier this month.
The 28-year-old underwent the operation on December 5 to clear up a minor ailment, and said at the time he was hopeful of running again by Christmas.
Blues coach Brett Ratten said it will be another month before Judd will be back into contact work, and added his skipper will not take part in their triangular NAB Cup series with Adelaide and Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on February 26.
"He's going really well, I think he's got 18 200s to do so he's up and running again which is fantastic," Ratten said at training on Friday.
"It was the best result that we could ask for when he went in and had the, I suppose, look – just an arthroscope there on the shoulder. He will be into some contact work in late January."
"In our plans we weren't going to play him in the triangular NAB Series, he wouldn't play that anyway, so he's pretty much on par with where we'd like him to be."
"We might limit his NAB Cup with the amount of games, and we're still working out whether it's two, two-and-a-half, we're not sure there, but that was our plan for him."
Ratten said he has been impressed with the form on the training track of utility Bryce Gibbs, who is continuing to recover from a shoulder injury suffered in the Blues' thumping elimination final win over Essendon in September.
"He's going well Bryce, his pre-season has been outstanding, he's done all the work," he said.
"I expect him to be the one that really jumps up a cog or two and really challenges Murphy and Judd for that sort of midfield and 'best player at your football club' title. I expect him to have a big year."
Ratten said the playing group were feeling the benefits from their arduous pre-season training camp in Dubai, with the extreme heat and high-altitude facility having a marked effect.
"There's no doubt our squad, just from testing and that, we would be close to three or four weeks in front," he said.
"But we will give the players an extra week off at Christmas which will be great for their, I suppose, mental freshness."