Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has remained non-committal on whether or not he would return before the end of the regular season.

Rose underwent knee surgery in February to remove part of the meniscus in his right knee, with the Bulls putting a timetable of four to six weeks on his return.

That timetable has almost expired, but the 26-year-old insisted that he would not return until he gets his strength back to peak level.

"Just building strength. Just trying to take care of my body, hydrate, but strength has to be there," he told reporters, according to ESPN.

"My rhythm of the game will come. It just takes me being out there and actually playing."

Rose has continued to step up his rehabilitation over the past fortnight, and participated in 5-on-5 scrimmages in practice this week.