Dylan McGeouch insists he will be guided by the Hibernian medical team but has confessed a comeback against Rangers would be his ideal Christmas present.

The on-loan Celtic midfielder, who had a spell with Rangers as a teenager, has been sidelined for six weeks following ankle surgery, but returned to the training pitch this week to step up his recovery.

The Scotland under-21 internationalist appeared to be nearing peak form after a string of starts for Hibs earlier in the campaign but has been unavailable since turning in a man-of-the-match performance in the Edinburgh derby draw with rivals Hearts on October 26.

The 21-year-old began his rehabilitation back at Celtic but is now eager to make up for lost time as he eyes the mouthwatering December 27 fixture against Rangers and the third derby of the season against Hearts on January 3.

He said: "I've just started jogging and hopefully I'll pick it up this week and hopefully get training as soon as. I'll just see what the physios here say and we'll take it from there.

"But I'm good to go now, so hopefully I can get back as soon as possible.

"I think it's just about seeing how I feel, how my ankle feels. The surgeon's given me the go-ahead to start running, so I'll see where I am by the end of the week and at the start of next week, and take it from there.

"It's really up to the physios and whether they think I'm ready to get back into a game, but hopefully that's as soon as possible."

Asked whether a return in time for Rangers would be the ideal Christmas gift, McGeouch added on Hibs TV: "Yes, of course, it's a big game for the club and for everybody involved, so hopefully I can get back for that.

"I'm not promising anything, but if I'm back for that it would be a wee bonus."

With summer signing Scott Allan nearing match fitness and head coach Alan Stubbs' methods starting to bear fruit, McGeouch appeared to revel in a dominant display from Hibs in October's derby against Hearts.

His performance at the heart of midfield was full of drive and skill and the subsequent news he required an operation to cure a problematic ankle injury came as a huge blow to both club and player.

However, he is determined to ensure he can get himself back to the same form he displayed before his lay-off.

The Glaswegian said: "It was just a wee niggle I had had for a while. I went to see one of the specialists back in Glasgow and he thought it was best to get a wee bit of surgery done, just to clean it up, before it got any worse just playing on it every week.

"He thought maybe just take six weeks out just now and in the long run it would be beneficial for me.

"It wasn't ideal. Obviously, in the Hearts game it was disappointing we drew in the end but, from a personal point of view, I thought I did quite well in a big game - my first derby here.

"It was great that people were talking about me again but then it was disappointing I had to take a few weeks out.

"But, hopefully, I can get back to the way I was and putting in good performances and putting points on the table."

Meanwhile, injured defender Jordon Forster is expected to step up his comeback from a broken foot with an appearance for Hibs under-20s tomorrow.

The 21-year-old has been out since the goalless draw with Dumbarton on October 11 but is back in training and is scheduled to face Motherwell's young team at Spartans' Ainslie Park to test the injury, which required an operation to pin his metatarsal.

Stubbs commented: "Fitness work will only get him so far, it's minutes on the pitch that will bring him back up to a level where he can become involved again."