Callum Wilson has vowed to make sure 'every box is ticked' so that the Newcastle United striker can 'affect' games when he eventually returns to action.
Wilson suffered a hamstring injury in the Magpies' 3-2 win against Southampton last month and was ruled out for between six and eight weeks.
The 29-year-old completed a month-long rehabilitation camp down in Bournemouth last week and has since returned to Newcastle's training ground to start the next phase of his recovery out on the grass.
Newcastle have certainly missed Wilson and the Magpies currently lie just two points clear of the relegation zone after only winning two of their last 17 games in the Premier League.
Wilson has a return date in mind - the upcoming two-week international break has come at just the right time - but Newcastle's top scorer has been keen not to rush back given the nature of his muscle injury.
"I thought it was probably going to be a four-week lay-off," Wilson told NUFC TV. "The scan revealed it was a little bit worse than that.
"Like I say, we just play it by ear, take things slowly without rushing it because the main thing is getting back and staying back.
"There's no point me coming back and then breaking down again, which is no good for anyone.
"I think, for me, it's making sure every box is ticked and I feel comfortable in myself and I've got a lot of training under my belt to go into a game and to be able to affect it and not just take part."
