Daniel Vettori's recovery from a ligament tear that forced him home from Australia, may have him making the return trip across the Tasman sooner than was expected.

Vettori is in Christchurch for treatment for the injury which occurred when he was fielding a ball from his own bowling in Canberra.

New Zealand Cricket's operations manager John Reid said today the injury was healing faster than the initial diagnosis suggested.

But he was refusing to get carried away with the progress.

"We are monitoring it daily, and the signs are that he will be back in Australia earlier rather than later.

"But we don't want to be too optimistic. We are pleased with his response to the treatment but it is too early to say when the full recovery will be.

"It is a different thing to be walking or running on the foot than it is to be pivoting on the foot when bowling, and it is his pivot foot that is injured," Reid said.

"How much earlier he goes back will depend on the next week of treatment," he added.

CLEAR Black Caps manager Jeff Crowe said he was very pleased to hear the news about Vettori and said the likelihood of a quick recovery had been why they said that his tour wasn't over.

The team physio Dayle Shackel and NZC's fitness advisor Warren Frost will be having a meeting in Brisbane tomorrow to discuss the situation with NZC's medical staff back in New Zealand about just where they think Vettori is.

"Stephen Fleming talked to Daniel this morning and he was very positive after talking to him and said it was very encouraging," Crowe said.

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