Brumbies play-maker Matt Giteau who is currently on the injury list says that he is "pretty confident" of playing for the Brumbies in this weekend's Super14 opening clash against his old team the Force on Friday.
Giteau suffered a tear in his left thigh during training two weeks ago will be given until Tuesday to prove his fitness for the clash against his former club.
The 27-year-old Wallaby star missed the Brumbies' two trial losses against the Hurricanes and Waratahs but he now insists that his injury is showing significant signs of improvement.
"It's a little frustrating, obviously you want to develop combinations and train as much as possible so from that side of things it's disappointing and frustrating but things are starting to progress well," Giteau told Sky on Monday.
"I'm doing a lot of the running and I'm getting a lot of confidence out of that."
"I've never torn anything before so it's hard for me to really comment. Every time I go out and I do the running and I push the leg more and more I get through everything and I feel fine."
"At the moment I'm pretty confident I'll play but having said that I've never torn it so I don't really know the limitations."
Giteau's coach at the Brumbies Andy Friend was not as optimistic but added that he was willing to give his star more time to his fitness.
"We're going to give it one more day, Gits is still attempting to be fit and get ready so as a team we just feel if we can give him every opportunity it would be best for us so we're going to do that," Friend said.
"He's honestly still a 50-50 (chance of playing)."
The decision is in the hands of the Brumbies medical staff but Giteau insists that he will only play if he is fully fit.
"I don't want to compromise the group, so for me it's all about being able to play to my full potential," he said.
"If at any stage I feel like I'm going to compromise this group there's no way that I'll go out there and play, because obviously I want what's best for the side and what's best for the side is to have 15 or 22 fit guys out there playing."
Giteau has previously stated that he would be happy to play anywhere in the Brumbies back line - at flyhalf or inside-centre - but he has also made no secret if his desire to wear the No.10 jersey this season.
"I'm not too sure," the 78-Test veteran said when asked where he expects to line up in the backline.
"Obviously I've trained in both positions (inside-centre and flyhalf) and out of the two I'd probably say flyhalf would probably be the one where I'd get more involved, so that'd be the one that I'd take."
Coach Friend is pretty relaxed about playing Giteau in his desired position and said, "We'll probably look to play him at 10 to be honest with you and look to keep Christian there at 12."
Looking ahead to the match this weekend Giteau added that he was desperate to line-up against his old team even though he expects a fair share of free life advice at ME Bank Stadium.
"It's a game obviously that when you first looked at the draw for this year (it was) one you eyed off," he said.
"Obviously I've got a bit of history there with the boys and it' certainly a game that you don't want to miss."
"For me, personally it'd be a huge challenge and one that I'd love to play."
"(It'll) be no different I think to when I first came to Canberra (with the Force) that first game in 2007."
"I got booed a little bit and I'm expecting pretty much the same stuff in Perth."
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