RICARDO Santos could be back in action by the start of January after being given the all-clear to make his return at Wanderers.

The club captain has been out of commission since playing against Barrow on November 22 having been struck down by a virus and pneumonia-like symptoms which required hospital treatment.

It was feared at one stage that the illness could mean the defender’s season was over – but specialists have now given him permission to begin a special fitness course to bring him back up to speed.

Ian Evatt announced the good news at his press conference for the December 27 visit of Derby County.

“Rico is improving dramatically,” he said. “He saw the specialist on Tuesday and has basically been give the all-clear to build up again.

“He is working really hard and it is almost like a mini pre-season for him, really.

“I would think he is looking around the Barnsley fixture, which is good news.”

Evatt admitted there was no knowing at the end of November how long Santos would miss, of what effect the virus would have on his longer-term fitness.

“I don’t think any of us knew and understood what was going to happen,” he said.

“The most important thing is that he is back home and in one piece with his family again.

“It is a huge bonus to us that he is receptive to the training we are giving him.

“His fitness has deteriorated a little bit, naturally, but in terms of his breathing process we have had no reaction, which is a really good sign. The specialist has told us to start building him up now, so we will get him right for early January.”

The Bolton boss is confident that Santos will get back to the same sort of fitness levels he had before the illness, having seen encouraging signs this week on the training ground.

“Everything I am seeing makes me think he will get there,” he said. “We have to treat it now like it was an injury.

“If you are out for a month-or-so you shouldn’t lose too much. It is a bit different when it is your breathing that has been affected but everything he is doing he has taken well, his body hasn’t reacted negatively in any way. We will take it day by day but they are really positive signs.”

Wanderers have more good news on the injury front with Kyle Dempsey, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Lloyd Isgrove now in contention for a place in the squad to face Derby.

“Kyle Dempsey is back in with no ill-effects,” Evatt added. “Lloyd Isgrove is fine, Geth (Jones) is still out but Jon Dadi Bodvarsson is fine – albeit we are limiting his contact and his heading for the moment.

“Everyone else is okay. There are one or two illnesses flying about but nothing like what we had a couple of weeks ago so we are in a good place.”