Torquay United defender Chris Todd has said he will be back in training next week as he continues to recover from acute myeloid leukaemia.
The 27-year-old has not been able to take part in full contact training because of swelling of his spleen associated with the condition.
But his doctor has said his spleen has shrunk back to normal levels as he continues to fight the illness.
"When he told me I couldn't stop smiling," Todd told BBC Devon.
The defender's white blood cell count is also back to normal levels, although he said doctors will monitor them to ensure they do not fall too low.
"My bloods are still good - my count of white blood cells is down to 2.9 but they'll still be keeping a close eye on me," he said.
"My white blood cells can't drop too low or else I risk getting really ill if my body can't fight off infections."
Todd will work with Torquay United's medical staff for the rest of this week before returning to full training after the weekend.
It is not known how long it will take him to get back to full match fitness.
He has not played a match since going off with a groin injury in the Blue Square Premier match at Forest Green Rovers in September.
It was after he had an operation on his groin that he was diagnosed with leukaemia.
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