Star man set to return for a big game, but what will it mean to the Peterborough United formation?

Ward has missed the last eight Posh matches since damaging his knee in the 2-1 League One win at Oxford United on October 22.

But he’s been back in full training this week and he’s looking sharp according to manager Grant McCann.

"Joe is a big player for us,” McCann stated. “So it’s been great watching him train this week as he’s looked good.

"He’s key to how we want to play and he’s certainly in contention for a big game on Friday.”

McCann reports no real movement on Ward’s contract situation, although negotiations between the 27 year-old’s representatives and the club are still ongoing.

"Joe likes it here, I know that much,” McCann added. “And I’m hopeful a deal will be done eventually.”

Ward’s return would give McCann plenty of options ahead for the match against a Barnsley side one point and one position below fourth-placed Posh in the League One table.

Ward can play right-back, right wing-back or on the right wing, but his presence doesn’t mean McCann will veer away from his preferred 4-3-3 formation.

"I want us to be able to play in more than one way,” McCann said. “But we prepared to play in a certain way this season and it would be wrong for a manager to throw his toys out of the pram because of a couple of bad results.

"Formations get talked about a lot these days, but we can still be flexible within our formation. Sometimes individual errors are to blame rather than the formation, including my own mistake at Exeter.

"What we might have to do is tweak the way we play away from home. It’s not so easy playing so much on the front foot in away games which is what we’ve been doing.”

On-loan goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright remains a week away from a return to action because of a thigh problem. Otherwise Posh have a fully fit squad to choose from for the Barnsley game apart from long-term injury victim Ollie Norburn.