Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm says he could be out injured until March, but insists he will be fit in time for the big games towards the end of the season.
Lahm, 31, fractured his ankle during Bayern training last month, before undergoing surgery on the problem.
The defender is currently resting at home and, having retired from international football with Germany in the summer, he feels he now has more time to ensure he recovers from his injury properly.
"I won't return in January, maybe in February. Maybe only in March," he told Bild in his first interview since sustaining the injury.
"I am under no big pressure, because for me there are no more World Cups or European Championships or other big finals. But I will be at 100 percent when it matters at the end of the season. I know from experience that rushing the comeback does not make any sense."
Lahm knows that even without him, Bayern are in control of the Bundesliga, with the side currently sitting seven points clear at the top of the table.
The former Germany international believes the Bavarians have taken their game to another level from last season, when they secured the title in late-March in record time.
"This season we no longer win games based on luck," he said. "This consistency, those tactical variations -- we've just never been so strong, we never had such a feeling. The current team is something special, even for FC Bayern."
Lahm added: "If we play on like this, there can and there will only be one champion: FC Bayern."