For a player who is a ball of energy on the park, it's been tough for Glasgow Warriors flanker Chris Fusaro to watch from the stands as his team fly high in the RaboDirect PRO12 and many of his Glasgow team-mates turn out for Scotland at all levels.

Fusaro made eight league appearances in the blue and black this term before he suffered a groin injury in the first of the double-header against city rivals Edinburgh.

But the player who joined Glasgow in 2011 is on the mend and has set his sights on a return next month, just in time to help the Warriors in their crucial run-in, where they are well positioned to make the play-off places.

Although frustrated, Fusaro has remained upbeat during his spell on the sidelines.

"It's been massively frustrating to not have been part of the squad recently but injuries are a part of the game and there is nothing I can do about it apart from try to keep as fit as I can while it heals," he said.

"The temptation is to try and get back as soon as you can and maybe I tried to return a bit too early, but luckily I haven't made the problem worse.

"I don't want to return too early again and risk further injury but I have been training and working on it and hopefully I should be back in the next few weeks.

"There are some massive games coming up with Dragons away this week then the league leaders, Ulster, are at Scotstoun the next week. Every one of the boys knows that we're entering crunch time in the season but we're well up for the challenge.'

Fusaro has battled John Barclay to be starting openside flanker over the past couple of seasons and it was Barclay who started there in the 36-20 win against Zebre in Parma.

Rob Harley then filled the role when neither specialist was available and has done so with such success that he was called to cover the position for Scotland in the Six Nations win over Italy at Murrayfield.

Fusaro said: "Obviously there is a lot of competition in the squad and it's going to be a fight to get a place again.

"But that's the way it is at Glasgow now. That's an exciting thing to be part of."