San Antonio Spurs All-Star Pau Gasol has been out of commission since November due to a stress fracture in his left foot, but it sounds like he could be nearing a return, according to a report from Marca.

Translated from Marca:

If Pau had broken his foot, he would be four months out, but it was not exactly like that either because the Catalan power forward will return to the courts at Christmas, before the end of 2018.

While there is still no official timetable for his return, Marca reports that Gasol could be well enough to play by late-December. He's out of his walking boot and back on the practice court, but he's not taking any contact. At this point, most of his routine revolves around spot-shooting.

“Seems like it's going to take awhile,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told The Associated Press after Saturday's game against the Bulls.

Without question, Gasol is an integral piece of San Antonio's rotation. The Spanish-born star has made nine appearances with the team this season, racking up averages of 6.8 points on 51.2 percent shooting from the field (57.1 percent from beyond the arc), 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 block in 17.4 minutes per outing.

“The players in the second unit miss him because they had a lot of movement around him. He's a good passer,” Popovich told ESPN in November. “He can find them, so him not being there has really affected that second group.”

The Spurs (16-15 and 3rd in the Southwest Division standings) will be back in action on Wednesday night, as they're scheduled for a matchup against the Orlando Magic. Tip-off inside the Amway Center is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.

Let's hope Pau can make his return to the floor sooner rather than later.