Emile Sinclair is closing in on a Macc Town return as boss Gary Simpson looks to continue their steady rise up League Two.
The 22-year-old striker has been out of action since pulling a hamstring in a 2-1 defeat at Lincoln on October 9.
But on Tuesday he came through his first full training session since suffering the injury, and is in the frame to be part of Simmo’s squad to face Aldershot.
"It’s probably a bit too soon to think about playing him for a full 90 minutes," said the Silkmen boss.
"But we’ll see how he responds in training for the rest of the week, and if he comes through OK, then he could well be involved."
Simpson is aiming for a fourth straight home league victory, as the Silkmen’s solid home form has played a key part in reaching mid-table and raising expectations.
And the manager won’t be happy until his side reach 50 points.
And as far as he is concerned, the sooner they clock up the half-century, the better.
"Nothing is decided at this time of year," he said. "Without wishing to sound negative, reaching 50 points is a tremendous achievement for a club of Macc’s size and budget.
"When I was at Lincoln, our target was always to get to 50 points as early as possible.
"If you manage that in February, then fine – you’ve got the whole of March and April to see what you can achieve beyond that.
"But that is the first target – to get 50 points on the board."
Simpson has been keeping his fingers crossed since last weekend that defender Nat Brown recovers from injury in time to face the Shots.
Brown limped off shortly after scoring the Silkmen’s second goal in their 2-2 FA Cup draw with Southend at the Moss Rose.
An X-ray on Monday revealed no structural damage, and so Simpson sent the 29-year-old for a scan to investigate further.
"Nat’s been a big player for us this season," Simpson said. "He’s scored four goals for us from set-plays in addition to being a big influence at the back.
"He’s one of our more experienced players, so we’re looking to get him back in action as soon as we can."
Simpson will definitely be without Ross Draper and Vinny Mukendi for the Aldershot game, as they will serve one-match bans after both collected a fifth booking of the season against Southend.
That draw with the Shrimpers has left Simpson’s men facing a tough replay next Tuesday at Roots Hall – a ground at which Macc have lost on every one of their six visits.
"I wasn’t aware of the club’s record there," Simpson said. "Southend will probably be favourites for the replay because they’ve got home advantage.
"But we’ve gone to some tough places this season, such as Torquay and Wycombe, and come away with victories. So there’s no reason why we can’t go to Southend and do the same."
If the Silkmen do manage to break their Roots Hall hoodoo, their reward will be a trip to Huddersfield or Cambridge, who replay at the Galpharm Stadium next Tuesday night.
