Woods unsure of schedule

Woods: Recovering from surgery

I will start hitting golf balls again early next year. As for as a timetable for playing - I don't know.

Tiger Woods
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Tiger Woods admits he is unsure he will be fit enough to defend his Dubai Desert Classic title next January, but did not rule out the possibility.

The world number one is currently out of action as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery and will not play again this season.

He went under the knife in June having won his fourth US Open crown, playing through the pain barrier at Torrey Pines where he was troubled not only by a knee ligament injury but also a double stress fracture of his left tibia.

Woods has not set a timescale for his return and admitted on Monday that he has yet to finalise his playing schedule for 2008.

Despite doctors reporting that his surgery went to plan, the American claims he is unsure "how my knee will heal" and is remaining cautious about his progress.

However, speaking at the launch of the billion-dollar golf project he designed in Dubai, he gave some hope that he could be back competing in the early part of next year.

Rehabilitation

"It's getting better," he told Sky Sports News when asked about the status of his injury.

"The rehabilitation is going well although it's been slow.

"I will start hitting golf balls again early next year. As for as a timetable for playing - I don't know.

"As I start ramping things up, swelling is going to occur.

"Does it (swelling) come out overnight or not? Is there soreness and other residual effects? All of that is unknown.

"One of the more frustrating things is that I really don't know what my (comeback) timetable is."