Head Coach Danny Wilson has revealed centre Cory Allen is set for his long-awaited comeback over the festive derby period.
Wales international Allen – who has been out of action since surgery in September on his hamstring – has returned to training and is pushing for a recall.
And the young midfielder could even be in contention to face Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade on Sunday (December 27).
Wilson said: “Cory is making really good progress and we will see whether he is available for selection. He is very close and in the next couple of games he should be available to us.
“It will be the first time that I have worked with him in this environment as a Cardiff Blues player so I am looking forward to him returning to the fore.
“We have come in after the weekend having recovered properly. We have a few bumps and knocks that we are waiting to see, but nothing that is a huge worry.”
Wilson admits Cardiff Blues are looking forward to the first festive derby between two teams with confidence after positive European campaigns.
“We are slowly moving forward and we are heavily assessing our performance, both with and without the ball,” he said.
“We defended really well against wave after wave of attack in Montpellier last week, and they are full of big carrying forwards and backs.
“There were some long periods in our 22 and, ultimately, that cost us at the end with the try on the final whistle.
“It’s disappointing to lose but there were a lot of real positives and it’s another step forward. We still have a long way to go but it gives us confidence.
“I like to think the group see we are making the relevant strides,” he added. “But this first derby against the Dragons sees us come up against a team that had two good results in Europe and are in a good place themselves.
“It makes for a game between two sides that have hit some form and are relatively confident. We know we go as underdogs, but our performances give us confidence that if we produce we can win.”