Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi believes he'll be back next month.

Only a few weeks after that August 22 setback during an Italy friendly in Hungary, the massive bruise that caused his thigh muscle to swell up has all but disappeared.

"I underwent some more tests and X-Rays yesterday," revealed the Inter star. "I will be back in around 30 to 40 days."

There had originally been warnings Materazzi would be out until 2008 and that if surgery had been delayed much longer, his career could well have been over.