England star Ben Te'o says his injury problems of the past year left him contemplating his future in the sport.
The 31-year-old now hopes to return in the "earlier part" of the new season.
"You have a couple of injuries back to back and you start to wonder 'is this worth it?'" Te'o said.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "A lot of players would feel the same. I've come back from some tough injuries, and once you're back it's brilliant, but the time off is tough.
"When I was getting ready for surgery for my quad, I was laying in the bed with the gown on, about to go under [the knife] again, and I was thinking 'I can't believe I am going under again for another op' - more crutches and all that.
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"But sometimes that's the way it goes with injuries. You can have a couple of good years, and then sometimes it can go back to back to back and you just can't get away from it.
"I'm praying and hoping I can get fit and play, and [an injury] doesn't come back. [It's been] frustrating."
