DAVID CUFFLEY City goalkeeper Paul Gallacher is making rapid progress in his recovery from an ankle injury - but manager Peter Grant has no intention of rushing him back for Saturday's home game against Sheffield Wednesday.

DAVID CUFFLEY

City goalkeeper Paul Gallacher is making rapid progress in his recovery from an ankle injury - but manager Peter Grant has no intention of rushing him back for Saturday's Coca-Cola Championship home game against Sheffield Wednesday.

With England Under-21 'keeper Lee Camp performing well against Leicester and Sunderland and still available for one more match before his three-month loan from Derby expires, Grant will be taking no chances with the Scotland international, anxious that he is fully fit to return at Southampton on Saturday week.

Gallacher suffered the injury when team-mate Jason Shackell landed on him during the 1-1 draw at home to Hull 10 days ago.

“Paul Gallacher's doing smashing. It's not as bad as we first feared when we saw the way Shacks landed on him and how the ankle looked the next morning,” said Grant.

“He's progressing well but the weekend will be too early for him and I can't afford to take a chance on him getting a knock with Lee Camp going back after the next game - and Campy's done nothing wrong.”

Grant hopes Gallacher will be back for the trip to St Mary's Stadium if there is no setback.

“If we can get him to do something in training with us before the end of the week I'll be delighted, and then next week he can get a full week's training. He can train morning and afternoon to get four or five sessions in if necessary.”

Meanwhile, Grant reiterated that signing Camp on a permanent basis was something he would consider in January - but a loan until the end of the season was another possibility.

He said: “He's shown great spirit, worked hard in training, he's good round about the boys and maybe he's thinking that this is a great place to play. It's an opportunity for him. I thought Lee played well again at the weekend.

“He's an England Under-21 international with a lot of experience. It's definitely something we would look at in the window but it also depends what Derby say and what Lee wants to do.

“One possibility would be to take him on loan to the end of the season. That may suit him better, but he's certainly a lot happier than when I came in. I think the only way he would go back to Derby and stay is if he is in the first team.”

With Stephen Bywater and Lee Grant first and second choice, respectively, at Derby, it seems unlikely. Rams boss Billy Davies has already told Camp he does not figure in his plans.

If Camp does return in the New Year, it could generate keen competition for the role of first-choice 'keeper at Carrow Road.

“It's an opportunity for him, to try to chase Gall for the number one spot and displace him. But I have to be fair to Gall, too, because he has done nothing wrong,” said Grant.