FOOTBALL FOCUS Football Focus Saturdays, 1210 BST, BBC One

Woodgate has been sidelined since rupturing a thigh muscle in April and is yet to play for Madrid since his summer transfer from Newcastle.

"Hopefully I'll be back within the next month," Woodgate told Football Focus.

"I've been working hard morning and night on my fitness and strength so hopefully when I come back I don't go back in the treatment room."

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Woodgate suffered various injuries during his time at Newcastle, managing just 37 out of 128 possible games for the club.

But the 24-year-old England defender is confident he will recover full fitness and justify his �13.4m price tag.

He said: "Madrid have said they are going to take no chance with me, and make sure I'm fully 100% fit before I go back into training.

"They have shown confidence in me and hopefully I can prove it was right to buy me.

"I've had a few injuries but hopefully now I'm at the club I can put the injuries behind me.