Bath centre Jonathan Joseph is likely to be fit for England's Six Nations campaign after making quick progress in his recovery from an injury, according to his club.
The 24-year-old was initially ruled out for around three months after sustaining a chest injury during the World Cup, putting his participation in the opener against Scotland on February 6 in doubt.
However, Bath assistant coach Toby Booth has confirmed that Joseph is recovering faster than expected after having surgery on his pectoral muscle, and suggests that he may even be back for the club's European Rugby Champions Cup double header with Wasps in December.
Booth told espn.co.uk: "Jonathan is out of his sling, he has had early rehab and it has coincided with some time off after the World Cup. We have allowed him to go and freshen up and relax a little bit. Now he is into the rehab side of things.
"He is in front of schedule, which is fantastic for us. Everyone is different, but he is on course to probably be back in eight weeks rather than 12. Whereas we were looking at January, we are probably looking at December now."
Joseph has played 16 times for England, including featuring for his country in the group stages of the World Cup.
Tom Nightingale
