Danny Cipriani hopes to be back in action ahead of schedule in October following a serious ankle injury.
The Wasps and England fly-half expected to play again in November after suffering a right ankle fracture dislocation against Bath in May.
“I have been running for three weeks and I’m hoping to be playing at the end of October,” he said.
“If things keep going as well as they have been, that’s where I will be. If it goes well, it could be sooner.”
Cipriani said he has been determined to maintain a positive outlook despite initially being ruled out for six months.
The 20-year-old spent the first six weeks of his recovery on crutches and with his foot in a cast.
“I just can’t wait to be playing because I have no doubt in my mind I will be fitter and stronger than before,” he added.
The forthcoming season promises to be the most challenging in Cipriani’s brief but exciting career, with the Premiership, Heineken Cup, RBS 6 Nations and the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa in store.
But he says he is focusing on Wasps before targeting more international honours.
“The way I have looked at it is that I’m not going to think about the Lions and I’m not going to think about England, I’m going to think about playing well for my club,” he said.
“If I play well for my club, hopefully I’ll get picked to play for England. If I play well for England, you never know what might happen.”
