Hugo Keenan is hopeful of being fit for Ireland's opening Six Nations clash against France, with the full-back saying he's taking confidence from Caelan Doris' injury return.
The Leinster star had been struggling with a hip issue and underwent surgery after the British and Irish Lions tour last summer.
He hasn't played since the last game against Australia, a 22-12 defeat in Sydney, but he was included in Andy Farrell's squad for the competition.
"I would have liked to have played by now," he admitted on RTÉ's Inside Sport. "I've been out for just over five months and was always targeting a January return.
"Missing a few big interpros and European games (for Leinster) wasn't ideal, but I'm getting there.
"I'm back training fully with Leinster and starting to feel much better and felt I've turned the corner the last couple of weeks.
"I was always hoping to get a bit of game time before the Six Nations to put my hand up for selection and to get back into form.
"Unfortunately, I was probably a week or two short, so far, but it just means that training becomes more important. It just means that the challenge is bigger when I do (return).
"We'll see, I won't call it just yet," he added, when asked if that meant he was going to be ready for the game in the Stade de France on 5 February.
Leinster are set to face Connacht and Edinburgh before the start of the Six Nations, fixtures which could provide Keenan with an opportunity to get game time before the trip to Saint Denis.
The Dubliner says that he'll be looking to an international team-mate for inspiration when he does get back onto the field.
"Caelan Doris (below) was out with a long-term injury for five or six months, a similar sort of time (to me)," he said.
"He came back into that New Zealand game and he was brilliant from the get-go and he was able to back that up in the Autumn Internationals after that and has been brilliant since as well."
Ireland come into this year's competition in an uncertain place.
Their attempt to put three Six Nations back-to-back was thwarted by Les Bleus in Dublin last year.
That defeat saw Ireland finish third in the table, their lowest finish since 2021.
Add to that a mixed November internationals series, with victories over Australia and Japan, but defeats to New Zealand and South Africa, and it's fair to say that Farrell's side aren't in top form.
But Keenan says that the side impressed him, even in those defeats, and that they won't be paying too much attention to their critics.
"The New Zealand game, there's a little bit of rust and a lack of match fitness and cohesion, but that performance against Australia was brilliant.
"That South Africa game, it was a bit chaotic and a bit crazy but the performance they put in was one I was certainly proud of.
"It means that there's a bit more uncertainty or a bit more chat about the squad or what's going to happen in this Six Nations but I don't think we'll, as a player group, read into it too much.
"We'll start growing our confidence when we come in on Sunday, Monday, start getting to work, start working on that performance that we need in Paris to get something out of that game.
"We won't be putting ourselves under too much pressure by looking at the bigger picture or listening to that outside noise."
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