"I always knew that Brian would be a big miss," Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez told the club's official website.
"You try and pencil in dates for a player's recovery and we are targeting the 22nd of December for him to be available for selection.
"I think English football has to be played with a big centre-forward. In Kenwyne Jones, Sunderland seem to have shown that.
"You need an aerial presence; all the top teams have that. Brian is one of the best in the Premier League and it's been a hard gap to fill.
"We can't afford to miss players of Brian's quality - that's why the front two have been mixed and matched all season since then."