The Surrey opener has already been ruled out of the Sri Lanka tour with ankle ligament damage suffered while playing football
Rory Burns is confident of returning to action in time for the start of the new County Championship season as he continues to recover from ankle ligament damage.
The 29-year-old, who averages 33.75 from his 15 Tests, suffered the injury while playing football in England training and was immediately ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing tour of South Africa.
Burns will also not feature in the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in March having undergone surgery.
In the midst of the first stage of his rehabilitation, Burns is targeting a return with county side Surrey in time for when the red-ball campaign starts in April.
"I'm in a moon-boot now and been given the all-clear by the surgeon," he told Sky Sports.
"I started some rehab [on Thursday] and will be back in the gym for the next few months so that will keep me busy.
"Hopefully I will be back for the start of the season, touch wood. I should be knocking around that first game."
Surrey open their four-day campaign against Somerset on April 19, the first of six games in the format before England's summer schedule begins.
Joe Root's men face West Indies in three Tests in June, before taking on Pakistan in August.
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