Iker Casillas says his recovery from the broken bone in his hand goes better than expected and he might be straight back between the Real Madrid posts when late March.
Casillas' hand was broken by an accidental kick from his team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa throughout Madrid's Copa del Rey quarter-final game at the Mestalla on January 23.
It was feared he'd face three months on the sidelines, and the team moved quickly to sign Diego Lopez for 3.5 million from Sevilla to play in their likely season-defining games against Barcelona in the Copa and Manchester United in the Champions League.
The Madrid club leader told reporters on Thursday morning, at the beginning of a new club look at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, that the initial schedule had only been a worst-case scenario.
"I am feeling quite positive," Casillas said. "The physician gave the worst-case scenario to me, he said 3 months it might take. But the other day when the splint was removed, I was told I'd four weeks left. Now I am doing active exercises to get freedom and power in the finger."
Casillas said he'd been working hard at Madrid's Valdebebas training center to obtain straight back playing the moment possible.
"Until now I've not had much power in it, but I'm getting it back little by little," he said. "We have reached the halfway point of the injury. I've still got per month to go. I'll need certainly to work more and experience more to get back the mobility of before. I am getting excited about returning. It's worse being off the pitch than on it."
The event was also visited by Casillas' team-mates including Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria, Jose Callejon, Nacho and Kaka, though coach Jose Mourinho was absent.
Alonso told reporters that he didn't know yet whether he would recover from his crotch problem with time for next Tuesday's Copa semi-final second leg at Barcelona's Camp Nou.
"I am in the healing stage," the midfielder said. "I am trying to get better the moment possible, to have gone the disquiet and get back in top form. Lots of people ask when I'll be ready. I desire to be able to play against Barca, but I don't have a solution right now."
Former Liverpool player Alonso said that, with the link balanced at 1-1, whoever scored first in the Champions League last 16 reunite game at Manchester United on March 5 could be favourites to progress.
"They can have the support of these fans," he explained. "It will probably be a concern. The side that results first is going to be favourites. Old Trafford is a good ground and it's the sort of match we all want to play. The link is quite open."
Di Maria said that it might suit Madrid to be playing abroad in both of the upcoming, possibly season-defining, activities.
"Things are getting well and we hope to continue this way," he explained. "We know that we've to have huge matches in both contests and that it will not be easy. Because we do well when things are against us maybe playing away is likely to be within our favor. We've had this week to focus on the best way to approach the games. I really hope everything goes well."
Benzema, who remains any doubt for Saturday evening's La Liga sport at Deportivo La Coruna, said he was not focused on his recent bad form before goal.
"I hope than I have so far that I score more goals, but the thing could be the squad and to win the future matches," he said. "We have to come together to get. We have a great team and we're all in good form."
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