Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien hopes to be back in action within a month, according to press reports Wednesday, dpa reported.
The Ghana international damaged knee ligaments in September, and it had been feared he would miss the rest of the season.
But his recovery has progressed ahead of schedule.
"According to rehabilitation physio Thierry Laurent, it should not take more than one month for me to play actively again," Essien told 90minutes football magazine.
"He has assured me that once we go through a few other exercises for two or three weeks, I should be fit enough to return to the pitch."
Essien barely played under Luiz Felipe Scolari, who was dismissed as coach last Monday, but he believes Guus Hiddink, who has replaced the Brazilian on a temporary basis, is the right man for the job.
"Hiddink has been around for quite a while and knows what it takes to get positive results out of nothing," he said.
"He is a fantastic manager so we hope he would bring the magic to give us the strength we need to mount a challenge in all competitions."