DION Dublin has been nursing a broken back for the past two-and-half weeks but is getting closer to a return to first team action, it emerged today.

The 38-year-old has been out of action since the 1-0 defeat to QPR on October 8, a result which ultimately cost manager Peter Grant his job.

The big striker/defender took a knee to the back during the first half and did not emerge for the second period of the Loftus Road clash.

He has not kicked a competitive ball since, and today caretaker boss Jim Duffy revealed Dublin had actually been suffering from a fractured vertebrae.

It's not the first time Dublin has suffered such an injury, with the player actually breaking his neck while playing for Aston Villa a few years ago.

Couple that with the broken leg he suffered in the early 1990s playing for Manchester United, and Dublin has not had the best of luck with injuries on the field.

But Duffy said the injury sounded much worse than it actually was, and hoped his talismanic player could be ready in time for next week's local derby with Ipswich Town.

"He's getting closer but not close enough," said Duffy, when asked about Dublin's chances for Saturday.

"He's had a slight fracture in one of his vertebrae. We don't know if that's something that's been there for a while or whether it happened in the incident at QPR, but a scan has shown he's got a slight fracture. We initially thought it was just bruising."

When pushed by reporters as to whether Dublin's injury could be classed as a broken back, he responded: "I suppose you could dramatise it to that level. It's a slight fracture of a bone in the back so technically speaking it is. It's not something that would rule him out for months but with a back it takes time to settle down. He's already had a couple of weeks so possibly another week to let it completely settle down.

"Sometimes you get bruising on the bone and it's very painful, particularly on the back. But a scan has shown he's got a slight fracture. The physio Neal thinks it's a three or four week injury but depending on how things settle down."

An early return for Dublin would give Duffy and City fans a real boost in time for the visit of their friends from Suffolk. But they will have to make do without him at The Hawthorns on Saturday, with Duffy again in charge as the City board continues to chase a full time replacement for Grant.

As well as Dublin, Duffy will also be without the services of Adam Drury, who has suffered a tear of the calf muscle as is due to be out for "a couple of weeks".

Julien Brellier picked-up another knock playing for the reserves on Monday, but is thought to be fit enough to figure should he be chosen. John Hartson cannot play under the terms of his loan deal from West Brom, while Gary Doherty remains unavailable as he recovers from his groin problem.

Mark Fotheringham is not expected to return to action before Christmas, with goalkeeper Matthew Gilks suffering from inflammation of the knee, an injury which ruled him out of the list of substitutes for Tuesday's trip to Burnley.

If he fails to recover in time, first year pro Steven Arnold will be named on the bench.