New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has admitted that he is unsure whether or not he will be fit in time for the 2014 season opener.
The Patriots kick off the new campaign with an away match against the Miami Dolphins on September 7, giving Gronkowski just over four months to recover from surgery on a torn ACL in January.
However, the 24-year-old is not focusing that far in advance, instead looking to rehabilitate his knee on a day-to-day basis, something that he admitted was mentally challenging with such a long recovery process.
"Oh man, that's too far away. I'm just improving every day right now. I'm working hard every day to put myself in the best situation so that I'm ready. I'm actually improving every week. It's feeling good and coming along very well," Gronkowski told WAAF-FM.
"When it's the same thing 15 weeks straight, it starts to get tough. But you just have to stay mentally tough and stay physically strong and keep going in and keep grinding.
"It's been a while now and I'm just super excited to get this season rolling and get back out there on the field. I know it's another few more months away, so I have more time to keep on recovering and keep on getting in shape."
The two-time Pro Bowler only managed seven appearances last year having also suffered injury setbacks in the 2013 off-season.
Barney Corkhill
