INJURED Scotland rugby star Donnie Macfadyen is on the brink of a shock comeback this weekend putting the flanker - 25 years old today - in the frame for this Autumn's three-match Murrayfield Test series.
Macfadyen, who plays for Glasgow but is a product of the crack Edinburgh Academy nursery, has been sidelined since December with knee trouble and had further surgery in September.
However, the Evening News has learned that the player has progressed so well he has been pencilled into the Ayr line-up for Saturday's trip to Hawick in the BT Premiership.
If Macfadyen comes through that examination then he would go straight into contention for the start of Glasgow's European Cup campaign, the ideal springboard to facing Argentina next month in the Capital.
Meanwhile, Gunners coach Todd Blackadder has hinted that changes could be on the cards ahead of Friday's home clash with Newport Gwent Dragons in acknowledging "pretty average" performances in the defeat by Borders last time out.
Edinburgh crashed 11-23 in their fourth successive defeat on the Galashiels ground and Blackadder insisted that such displays would not be tolerated.
"I don't like experiencing wake-up calls but that's what this defeat was and I'm not focusing at all on Dragons at this stage because we have matters to put right first ourselves."
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