Manchester City defender Micah Richards has set his sights on a return to action in next month's derby against Manchester United.
The 24-year-old has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury that required surgery in City's Barclays Premier League win over Swansea last October. Richards had been in just his fourth match back after missing the start of the campaign with ankle trouble.
The England international has been out longer than hoped, having initially been sidelined until the end of February, but he is now back training, and told the club's website, www.mcfc.co.uk: "In the last 10 days I've been training outside again, doing two days of running and then a recovery day after that."
He went on: "I had a big fitness session on Tuesday and I'm starting to feel really good again so, when the lads are back from international duty, I should be taking part in partial sessions with them as I continue to close in on a return.
"I think the Newcastle match will come too soon for me, though I hope to have been training normally by then.
"Realistically, I'm looking more to the game away to United and then the FA Cup semi-final, maybe against United again, to be properly involved again - two relaxing games in a week on the horizon!
"I'll be trying my best to get back into the squad and it will be great just to be back among the lads and getting a feel for everything again."
Source: PA
