— WWE Raw star Ilja Dragunov suffered a serious knee injury last fall which was later determined to be a torn ACL that put him on the shelf. Fightfulselect.com is reporting that Dragunov is inching closer to a return and that he could be back “sooner rather than later.”

— The report adds that Dragunov has been spotted training at the WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando ahead of a potential return and it was noted that he was not there for rehab purposes but rather full training. He was also not spotted wearing any sort of support gear for his knee which would further support that his return is near. The original prognosis was that he would be sidelined anywhere between 6-9 months so it would appear as if he is well ahead of schedule.

— Prior to getting hurt, Dragunov was building momentum on the Raw brand and was in line for a push, however, it is unclear if he would be slotted back into a similar role with another push in his future. The fightful report cautioned that there hasn’t yet been any talk of immediate creative plans for Dragunov nor has there been a confirmation that he will be returning in the immediate future.