British lightweight Anthony Crolla has revealed that he could be ready to return to the ring in May.

There were fears about the 28-year-old's long-term health and future in the sport when he suffered serious injuries after being attacked with a concrete slab as he confronted thieves who were attempting to rob his neighbour's house last month.

A fractured skull and a broken ankle forced Crolla to postpone a bout with WBA champion Richard Abril, but he is confident of getting back to full fitness earlier than expected.

"I'm 100% certain I'll be back," Crolla told reporters. "I can get a bit carried away and start thinking 'well I can be getting around a bit in a few weeks, it won't take long to get fit, I can get back sparring'.

"But the sparring is the thing I need to be careful with and I'll probably need brain scans even before I return to sparring.

"At first we were aiming for July, then we cut it back to June. I honestly think I can be ready for May, late May. We'll see. I really believe that. Because I've gone through this and suffered this bit of heartache, I'll be even more focused than before."

Crolla has lost four and drawn two of his 35 professional bouts.