Claudio Marchisio has declared that he is steadily recovering from a knee injury, and is set to return to action sooner than later.

Juventus have been plagued with injuries to key personnel in the early parts of this season, with Marchisio one of the many casualties.

"When will I be back? My return has been progressing well, and I am on course thanks to the medical staff at the club. I am aiming to return against Udinese [next weekend]," Marchisio told the Juventus Channel.

"At the moment, I am thinking about making the World Cup squad, but this will all depend on if my knee strengthens, and if I can regain a starting place in my team."

The media have reported that the Bianconeri have failed to control the midfield in match after Marchisio went down with the knee problem, a situation that has let Inter run away with the points in the Serie A.

He continued, "Have Juve missed me? This is false. We have a very strong squad, consisting of many good players.

"The only players who make a major difference are [Alessandro] Del Piero and [Gianluigi] Buffon, as they are great champions. In fact, Gigi is the best goalkeeper in the world.

"We must aim to narrow the five point gap from Inter before the Christmas break, and we will have the chance to play them, which will help.

"We must attain as many points as possible before that game against the Nerazzurri."