Liam Livingstone is hoping to be back in action in time for the Indian Premier League in March, following an injury-hit end to 2022.
Livingstone rushed back early from a freak ankle injury sustained in The Hundred in August after he "fell down a kerb trying to dodge a puddle" and played every game of England's T20 World Cup winning campaign while still not fully fit.
He then made his Test debut against Pakistan one month later in December, but injured his knee while fielding on the boundary on day two of the first Test in Rawalpindi and his tour was cut short.
And Livingstone is hopeful he will be back in action for the Punjab Kings, alongside fellow England stars Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow - who is also targeting a return at this year's IPL after suffering a freak leg break while playing golf in September.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Livingstone said: "I am recovering from a knee injury from that one [the Pakistan tour] and was carrying an ankle problem during the World Cup. I am just trying to get those sorted, it's a slow process at the moment.
"I am heading in the right direction. Hopefully I'll be back in the next couple of months.
"It was disappointing [getting injured during The Hundred]. I started the tournament not great and finally got some runs at The Oval.
"Unfortunately, I had a bit of a freak incident and hurt my ankle. It was incredibly disappointing to have got injured at the time, especially when it's the crunch time of a tournament.
"It's going to be a long few weeks building up from rehab, and hopefully I'll be back around the IPL time so I can get back into the swing of things."
