Rhys Webb: Wales scrum-half 'close' to return from injury

Rhys Webb made his Wales debut against Italy in the 2012 Six Nations

Wales and Ospreys scrum-half Rhys Webb expects to be back in action sooner than expected following injury.

Webb has not played since suffering a serious foot injury in a World Cup warm-up with Italy in September.

The 27-year-old says he is close to a return, giving him time to get fit before the Six Nations in February.

"I'm back up and running now and going through a pre-season sort of stage at the moment. It's all coming along well," he said.

"I'm going to take each week as it comes now and see where I am then.

"It's been talked about [returning] at the beginning of February, but I did ask the physios if they could scrape a couple of weeks off that and they said 'yes'."

Wales begin their Six Nations campaign away to Ireland in Dublin on Sunday, 7 February.

Webb, capped 16 times by Wales, has renewed his national dual contract with Ospreys and the Welsh Rugby Union.

He turned down offers from elsewhere to stay at the region for whom he made his debut in 2007.

"It's my home region and I enjoy the club," Webb told BBC Wales' Scrum V Live.

"I want to put myself in the best possible position to play for my country and I'm not going to give that up that easy.

"Wales and the Ospreys came together and I'm happy to get it done."