Aston Villa skipper Ron Vlaar is urging Jores Okore to be patient

The defender is in the final straight of his recovery after five months out with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

And on Monday Okore posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a crash helmet before go-karting during Villa's training camp in Portugal.

But captain Vlaar urged the Denmark international to make sure he is fully fit to ensure his recovery does not stall.

"He has only played a few games, but it is really important not to rush him back," said Vlaar. "He has to be 100 per cent fit and then we will see how he is when he gets back.

"He's in every day, ever since he started to recover. It's not always been easy for him but he works really hard, his spirit is really good. He's always happy. Of course he will have his hard moments but if he needs us we try to be there for him and try to help him as much as we can."

Okore was injured in just his fourth game – the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in September – after joining from FC Nordsjaelland for £4m last summer. He has targeted a return next month and could help Villa, who are four points above the Premier League relegation zone, avoid the drop.

Vlaar endured his own cruciate injury nightmare at Feyenoord after suffering one in 2007 and another in 2008.

In between he contracted a bacterial infection and struggled with medial collateral ligament injury.

And the skipper knows what Okore has had to do to make sure he is able to finally return for Villa.

"He's working really hard to get back and it seems to be going really well," said the 29-year-old. "It will be great when he comes back because we need everybody. It's not been easy for him to come to Aston Villa and to get such a big injury, to be out for almost all the season.

"You never know how long it can take. I know from myself it took me longer to come back, so if he's back next month that will be great. Of course we all look forward to having him back."