Maloney is now expected to make his return to playing for The Hoops in late October/early November - a month before his original due date.
Meanwhile, John Kennedy may be forced to go under the knife for a third time, in a bid to save his career. The third operation though, should not affect his recovery time, and should make it easier for him on his road to comeback.
On the short-term injury front, Joos Valgaeren, David Fernandez and Stephen McManus are all doing fine, after picking up knocks, while it's expected Alan Thompson will miss Saturday's game against Chelsea.