Manchester United captain Gary Neville hopes to be available inside the next fortnight.

The England right-back has not played for the Red Devils since March 17, when he was forced off with an ankle injury in a 4-1 win against Bolton.

The 32-year-old had been expected to return to action at the start of the new season but then suffered a thigh injury, although he admits there is now "light at the end of the tunnel".

Explaining how he suffered the thigh setback, he told MUTV: "I probably did a bit too much, I was a bit over-excited getting back and I just felt my thigh a little bit. It's frustrating and has added a bit of extra time (to the recovery).

"Hopefully in the next week or two I'll be back and I hope to be playing games in the next couple of weeks definitely.

"Because I've been out for such a long time I think the Everton game is going to be too soon, I think it will probably be after that."

Neville admitted it had been a long road back, and faces a tough task to unseat Micah Richards from the national team right-back berth for the qualifiers against Estonia and Russia next month.

"When I originally did it (the ankle injury) I thought I'd be out for six to eight weeks, but I had a problem with a loose bit of bone and that's why I had to have the operation to get rid of it which was another three months," Neville added.

"Then this thigh injury just made it a few extra weeks longer so it's the longest injury I've ever had.

"It is frustrating but I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I just need to get fit."