Goalkeeper Heinz Muller has had a successful operation on his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in Germany and should return to Oakwell next week.
Muller, who has been a revelation at Oakwell since signing for £150,000 from Lillestrom in the summer is likely to be out of action for six to nine months but he can now start on his road to recovery.
Physio Richard Kay told www.barnsleyfc.co.uk:
"Heinz had his operation on Thursday and I have spoken to him twice since then. The surgery itself went very well and he will see the specialist again this week for a check up.
"Heinz had ruptured his cruciate ligament but, despite initial fears, there was no damage to his lateral meniscus as well which should bring down his rehab time a little bit.
"The surgeon took out one of Heinz's hamstrings and used it to form a new anterior cruciate ligament. It is a new technique, which was only possible because Heinz's hamstrings were so strong and thick. It should make his knee even more secure.
"Heinz is very positive about the surgery and he is already doing some physio work in Germany. He will return to us next week for a couple of days so that we can see just how things are going before flying out to Germany again to continue his rehab work.
"It is still difficult to say just how long he will be out and we will not know exactly until Heinz is well into his rehab work. The first couple of weeks are always going to be crucial and there is still the risk of infection following the surgery. We will also have to make sure the swelling comes down but the early signs are better than we first thought.
"We are not going to put Heinz under any pressure and we are not in a position to put any set timescale on things at the moment. We can say that he will be back somewhere between six and nine months - that is still the best and worst case scenario".
(BarnsleyBoy: I sent off all your get well wishes to the club last week)
Meanwhile Stephen Foster and Martin Devaney are big doubts for tonight's clash with Plymouth at Home Park.
Both players excelled in the 2-1 weekend win over West Brom but missed training yesterday.
Simon Davey told www.barnsleyfc.co.uk:
"We will have a look to them before the match but they will have right up to the last minute.
"Stephen and Martin did not complete the session yesterday so it is a worry".
Finally ex Barnsley youngster Scott Flinders is set to move on loan to League One Yeovil. Flinders who came up through the ranks at Oakwell joined Crystal Palace in the summer of 2006 in a deal worth £1m plus Sam Togwell.