Germany international midfielder Torsten Frings, out with a knee injury since mid-October says he plans to return to Bundesliga action in February as his side prepare for their UEFA EURO 2008 campaign.

"I really want to be back and playing in the Bundesliga by February so that I can make sure I am ready for Euro 2008," the Werder Bremen star told German regional newspaper Mittelbayerischen Zeitung on Friday.

"I see no reason why I can't be back in action by then."

Frings was out from July to October because of a pre-season knee injury which then relapsed at the beginning of November and the 31-year-old has just resumed training. The midfielder is one of the key elements in German head coach Joachim Low's first-choice side with nine goals in 66 international appearances.

Germany have been drawn in the same group as hosts Austria, Croatia and Poland for next summer's UEFA European Championships. But Low believes he will need to have the currently injured midfield trio of Frings, captain Michael Ballack and Bernd Schneider back for next June's tournament if Germany are to progress to the final.

"If we want to win, we need our most experienced players. Against many of Europe's strongest teams there is only a small margin for ever without our best players," warned Frings. "But we'd have no chance against the likes of France or Italy without our best team."