Matthew Rees suffered his injury after 30 minutes against Australia

Wales hooker Matthew Rees is set to return from injury ahead of schedule and be available for the Six Nations opener with England on 6 February.

The Scarlets star was expected to be out for at least three months after suffering a groin tear in Wales' 33-12 defeat by Australia on 28 November.

But Scarlets coach Nigel Davies said: "He'll be back sooner than anticipated. Matthew is about three weeks away."

Wales open their Six Nations campaign against England on 6 February.

If Rees, 29, returns in three weeks as anticipated, he could play in the Scarlets' final Heineken Cup pool match in Brive on 23 January.

They have no fixture the following weekend, so that would be the hooker's only opportunity to prove his match fitness ahead of the Six Nations.

Along with Rees, Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips and his Ospreys team-mate Duncan Jones, the understudy to Wales' number one loose-head prop Gethin Jenkins, are also facing a race against time to be fit.

Rees' Scarlets team-mates wing Mark Jones (knee) and flanker Dafydd Jones (shoulder) remain doubts but the Ospreys pair of Lee Byrne and Shane Williams should be fit.

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