INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts hope head coach Chuck Pagano will be back on the sideline next week.

While no official announcement has been made by the team, interim coach Bruce Arians and others have pegged the Dec. 30 regular-season finale against Houston as Pagano's possible return date. He has not been on the sideline since late September after starting the first of three rounds of chemotherapy in his battle against leukemia.

Players, assistant coaches and team officials are eagerly anticipating Pagano's return, which could come as early as Monday.

Arians said this week that Pagano "felt great" and "looked good" and his white blood-cell counts were good -- all indications he could be return next week. On Wednesday, he referred to Pagano's possible return as a nice "Christmas present."