Van der Vaart set to return next week - Hamburg

Berlin: Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart is set to make a speedy injury comeback and could be fit by next week, his Bundesliga club Hamburg said Tuesday.

The 30-year-old injured his ankle playing for Holland during the 0-0 draw against Colombia last week and was originally expected to be out for three to four weeks. "He`s improving rapidly and I think he`ll be fit already for the German Cup match against Cologne on December 3," said Hamburg sports director Oliver Kreuzer. Van der Vaart missed Sunday`s 3-1 win over Hanover and will also sit out Friday`s trip to Wolfsburg. "I feel much better, we`ll see how it evolves over the coming days," said Van der Vaart.