England wing Jack Nowell has insisted that he will not rush back from injury, even if it means missing the beginning of the Premiership season.
The 21-year-old, who started every game of this year's Six Nations campaign for the Red Rose, underwent knee surgery in May.
Nowell missed England's recent tour of New Zealand, but he is hopeful of winning back a spot in the squad ahead of the 2015 World Cup.
When asked if he will be fit for Exeter Chiefs' season opener next month, BBC Sport quotes him as saying: "That was the goal I set at the start but I'm concentrating on coming back 100%.
"I'm not going to have this chance again to have all this time off, so I'm going to make sure I'm 100% before I'm back on the pitch.
"Stuart Lancaster says he's going to pick the people who are on form for their clubs. So I need to get my Exeter shirt back and perform as well as I was last year, that's the first thing I need to do."
Exeter finished in eighth place in the league table last season.
