Goal.com

The former Everton star suffered a hamstring strain in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier in March, but is hopeful of being ready for action as his side aim to retain the title

Manchester City midfielder Jack Rodwell is confident he can return to full action in two weeks, after suffering an injury in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this month.

The 22-year-old joined City in the summer after coming through the youth academy at Everton. However, he has made just 11 appearances for the side thanks to numerous knocks ,leading to speculation over his future at the club.

However, Rodwell is confident that he only faces a short spell on the sidelines this time round.

"It's just over two weeks into my injury now and it's healing well, I'm hoping for maybe another two weeks until I'm back on the pitch," the midfielder told the club's official website.

"I'll hopefully train within the next 10 days, that's my aim. If I do that, then it's been a really good rehab – four weeks is very good.

"If it takes a week more, then it will be a week more just to be on the safe side, but we'll see – hopefully two more weeks is all I will need."

The England international is pushing himself as hard as ever in order to regain full fitness, adopting the same regime that has seen him recover from similar injuries in the past.

"I'm doing the same stuff really, a lot of strengthening work and just keeping up what I was doing last time which I thought worked really well," he added.

"It's a recurring injury, still my hamstring on the same leg. It's probably a different muscle – different areas of the hamstring.

"But I'm running well now and getting up to a good speed, nearly full speed. I haven't done much change of direction though, which is the next step and then ball work before I join the team."

Rodwell admits, at times, facing such frequent, lengthy periods in the physio room can get you down, but insists he has the right people around him to encourage his fight back to full fitness.

"Initially it was depressing, but I've got good people around me, good family, great physios, the sports science department are great and all the lads are brilliant too," he added.

"I've just got to be positive, it's just a minor setback and it's a long career. I'm still young and I just have to stay positive."