Lee Westwood is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from injury and is set to be fit for the Ryder Cup next month, according to his management team.
The world number three ruptured the plantaris muscle in his right calf at the French Open in July and has not played since early last month.
But an International Sports Management (ISM) spokesman told BBC Sport: "Lee will be at the Ryder Cup.
"He is a few days ahead of schedule and everything is progressing very well."
Westwood, who has been a key member of the European team for six Ryder Cup campaigns against the United States, pulled out of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio in August after two rounds because he was finding it hard to put weight on his right leg.
The 37-year-old missed the final major of the year, the USPGA Championship, last month and will not play Tour golf until the Ryder Cup begins at Celtic Manor on 1 October.
Westwood's management team said the 37-year-old will play at a charity event hosted by Ryder Cup vice-captain Darren Clarke and cricket legend Sir Ian Botham at Archerfield Golf Club in Scotland early next week.
"Lee started chipping and putting last week and is hitting up to five irons," added the ISM spokesman. "There have been no setbacks.
"He is expecting to be through the bag at the weekend and on Friday week he will be playing 36 holes just to make sure he is capable of playing two rounds in one day if he is called to do so in the Ryder Cup.
"Everything is going according to plan. He is in the gym every day. He's confident he will be ready, he was confident when he stopped playing last month that he would be."
Westwood had been in impressive form before his injury setback, finishing second in the Masters and the Open as well as winning the St Jude Classic after beating American Robert Garrigus and Swede Robert Karlsson in a play-off.
In the Ryder Cup, Westwood has been on four victorious European sides - winning 14, losing 10 and halving five of his 29 matches.
However, Westwood struggled to make an impact in the last Ryder Cup in Valhalla in 2008, earning only two halves out of four matches.
Should Westwood fail to recover before the opening ceremony on 30 September, skipper Colin Montgomerie would be be able to select a replacement, given that Italian Edoardo Molinari, the next eligible man on the World Points list, has already been given a wildcard pick.
That could pave the way for the inclusion of world number seven Paul Casey or fellow Englishman Justin Rose, who has won twice in the United States this year.
The duo missed out as Montgomerie named Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari as his wildcard picks at the end of August.
Meanwhile, European vice-captain Paul McGinley has admitted that concerns over Westwood's fitness has given an advantage to Corey Pavin's United States side.
"A couple of months ago we were quite clear favourites but in the last two months things have changed. We have been hurt by Lee Westwood's injury. There's no doubt about that," McGinley told The Guardian.
"It's going to be an unknown factor until Lee turns up that week and we see how he feels, having not competed since The Open. That's a disappointment for Europe.
"I also think the American team has got a lot stronger over the last two months and we've had some issues - none more so than Lee having been injured and not having played. He's our number one player so I think it's going to be a very close Ryder Cup."
courtesy bbc sport
courtesy bbc sport
The Guardian : Paul McGinley
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