Tuesday 17 November 2015 18:49, UK
Jonathan Joseph has made good progress in his recovery from chest surgery and will be fit for the start of England's 2016 RBS Six Nations campaign.
Joseph suffered a badly damaged pectoral muscle during the World Cup and was sent back to his club where medics decided he was to undergo surgery.
The Bath centre looked set for three months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery, putting his involvement in England Six Nations opener against Scotland on February 6 in serious doubt, but his rehabilitation is well ahead of schedule.
"Jonathan is out of his sling, he's had early rehab and it's coincided with some time off after the World Cup," Bath assistant coach Toby Booth said.
"We've allowed him to go and freshen up and relax a little bit. Now he's into the rehab side of things.
"He's in front of schedule, which is fantastic for us. Everyone's different, but he's on course to probably be back in eight weeks rather than 12.
"Whereas we were looking at January, we're probably looking at December now."
Booth's comments suggest Joseph has a slim chance of playing a role in Bath's European double-header against Wasps on December 13 and 19.
Joseph collected the injury during England's 28-25 defeat to Wales on September 26, but returned to action for the matches against Australia and Uruguay before England's World Cup exit.
