Curtis Davies is hoping he will be back playing not long after the start of next season.
Villa defender targets September return
Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies is hoping he will be back playing not long after the start of next season.
Davies ruptured his Achilles tendon in March and he is on course for a return to action in September.
"It is coming along, I have just come out of my boot which was holding me back but I am out cycling, rowing, and running on a trampoline.
"I am not running on a hard surface yet, but the main thing is I am out of the boot now and I can step up the rehab now," he told
Sky Sports News.
"I believe I can be back before September - whether it is with a few weeks training in August and then playing or whether that is playing at the end of September after training in early September.
"I am very confident the rehab is going well - the surgeon is happy, the doctor is very happy so everyone is given me the right signs to stay confident. I am going to keep striving and work really hard over the summer and hopefully come back stronger and fitter."
Davies knows he will not have an easy ride getting back into the Villa first-team.
"First and foremost I have to get fit and picked by (Martin) O'Neill," he said.
"Obviously with me being injured and Olof Mellberg shooting off to Juventus we may be looking to strengthen in defence, which you would expect at a club like Villa, so I will have to be on point straightaway if I want to try and get back in the Villa side."
No regrets
Davies also insisted he has no regrets about quitting West Bromwich Albion after they sealed promotion back to the Premier League.
The 23-year-old, who is with Villa on loan and will seal a £9million permanent deal this summer, is pleased to see his former employers back in the Premier League.
"I've got no regrets about leaving West Brom. My reasons for leaving were to play Premier League football and to push on and to try and get into the England squad," said Davies.
"I've done that, albeit in a limited number of Premier League games so far, but from those limited games I managed to get into the England squad of 30 for the match with Switzerland.
"I am not surprised Albion have come back up. Last year we had all the football and flair players whereas this year a few more are playing as a team and that's a big part in why they have got up.
"They have also got the depth this season, a 30-man squad, whereas last year if a few dropped out, it was a back to basics. I am happy for them to go up and next season it will be interesting to see how they get on.
"It has turned out well for both sides. I hope they don't regret me going because at the end of the day, come the summer they will get a good fee for me and they are in the Premier League anyway.
"They can use the fee from me to buy more players and it is more praise to Tony Mowbray for going up without the likes of me, Kamara, McShane and Koumas. He deserves that extra pat on the back, I guess.
"The main thing for me is I'm at the club where I want to be and I just need to concentrate on my football and press on."
