Cardiff Blues won't rush Gavin Henson as he continues his bid to return to full fitness.
The Welsh centre joined Blues on an eight-month contract earlier this month after French side Toulon released him at the end of last season.
The 29-year-old missed Wales's World Cup campaign with a wrist injury and he is still continuing his rehabilitation.
"We are in no rush to throw Gavin in there," Cardiff Blues coach Gareth Barber told Wales Online.
"We have no reason to throw him in there straight off. We want him to get back to the position he needs to be so he can put pressure on his teammates.
"I don't know exactly what his return date will be, but you are probably looking at some time in November. He's had a bad wrist injury to get over and that's just notoriously difficult to heal."
Henson's career has also involved spells with Swansea, Ospreys and Saracens.
