KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles shuttler Haikal Nazri is aiming to return to competitive action in May after suffering a serious thigh muscle injury during training in December last year.

The 22-year-old is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) and hopes to reunite with Choong Hon Jian in time for the Malaysia Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, from May 20-25.

"The injury is quite serious. I have an eight-centimetre tear in my thigh muscle. Right now, my focus is on rehab, and thankfully, there's no need for surgery," Haikal told Bernama.

The injury has taken a toll on their world ranking, with Haikal-Hon Jian slipping to No. 31.

"I really miss playing competitively, and I'm pushing myself to recover fast and come back stronger. Hopefully, Hon Jian and I can reunite at the Malaysia Masters," he added.

On celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Haikal said he was delighted to be spending time with his family in Kelantan, especially as almost all his relatives would be home for the festive season.