White ruptured a cruciate knee ligament last month when his studs caught in the turf just before half-time in the opening autumn Test match with Romania.

He could even take a full part in Scotland's World Cup warm-up games against Ireland and South Africa before the start of the World Cup.

'I'm really positive," he said to The Scotsman. "I'm bang on schedule or slightly ahead of where I should be and I'm looking at being back within six months, which would be the start of June.

I know that's a best-case scenario and it can take longer, possibly eight or nine months, because I've spoken to enough players and physios who have warned me that you can have dips during the rehab, but I will push as hard as I can to make it.

I spoke to Fabien Galthie [former France captain and now Stade Francais coach] on Sunday and he did the same thing as me. He said he came back after eight months, but that it took him a year to be back to the kind of form he was capable of.

I'm aware of that, and the fact I was in good form before I was injured, but that's just one of these things.

But, I'm hell-bent on being fit for the World Cup and being out there at Murrayfield and in France in a blue jersey.

I don't want to jinx anything by talking too much about it, but, barring any real problems, I should be fit in time and then it will be about getting games and proving my form."