Chinese basketball center Yao Ming of the NBA's Houston Rockets has said he will come back from injury in at most 10 days.

That must be a good news for the Rockets, who lost to the Atlanta Hawks 105-99 on Saturday.

Yao said he is at 90 percent in terms of physical fitness, the same level as eight weeks ago prior to the injury. However, his reappearance on the court must be endorsed by his surgeon, he said.

Yao said every player feels bad on the sidelines at games when teammates spare no effort for wins. However, he can understand why the doctor is prudent about his comeback. It's a doctor's responsibility to keep players from worse injuries, he added.

Yao said he has been able to practice shooting during training sessions with physical exercises. In addition, he is studying new tactics the team has played during his absence. 

(CRI February 25, 2007)