Larder has been out of action since smashing his jaw in a freak collision with teammate Jon Goddard during the televised encounter with Leigh almost a month ago.

Goddard tore his bicep in the same incident, sparking fears Fax might have lost their left-flank strikeforce for the year in the blink of an eye.

But Goddard made a shock return against Salford last week, and now it seems Larder might not be too far behind him.

"I am fairly happy with the way things are going, it's coming along well," said Larder.

"I will see the consultant again in a couple of weeks' time and hopefully he will give me the all clear.

"The first two weeks after I did it I couldn't really eat, but I started doing some light training last week and I am looking to step that up fairly shortly.

"Running is difficult because of the jarring involved, but that is easing.

"I am still hopeful of being involved in the play offs.

"But there's a time issue, and I need to sit down with Matt and the medical staff and see where we go.

"It's a massively important time for the club and I want to be part of that, but I need to be going on the pitch fully fit both mentally and physically."

In the meantime, Larder will resume his watching brief when Fax travel to Batley on Sunday knowing that a win is crucial, both in terms of the National League One ladder and as a confidence booster after a run of two defeats and a draw over the last month.

"If I'm being totally honest, I think the lads are a bit down," said Larder.

"The injuries have come all at once, and they've happened at the worst possible time.

"But with the players we have, when the chips are down we generally stick together and I am still confident we can do something this season.

"I've been playing 13 or 14 years at this level and I have never had an easy game at Batley.

"They've got some form too after turning over Celtic and Featherstone in the last couple of weeks.

"But if we do the right things then I am really confident we can get the result we need."