AFP

New Delhi, Feb 10: A shoulder injury may have forced Saina Nehwal to skip the National Badminton championships but the ace shuttler is hoping to be back on court at the All England Super Series to be held from March 3 to 8.

"I was feeling a slight pain since last May but I ignored it and kept on playing. And it was during last month's Korean Super Series that I aggravated my injury.

"But I didn't think the injury was so bad. On Monday morning when physio Heath Matthews examined me he suggested that it would be better if I skip the nationals or else it might affect my chances of playing in tournaments later in the year.

"I just want to get back in shape before the All England Super Series," Saina said.

Saina has been advised two weeks' rest by Heath and the 19-year-old is following it by heart.

"I'm just running and doing other exercises but I am not doing anything at the moment that involves moving my right shoulder. I will be out of action for the next 2-3 weeks," said the world number 10.

"My body is fine and my form is also good at the moment, so there are no major concerns apart from this injury. I am working on it and hopefully it will be alright within the next 3 weeks, so that I can give All England my best shot," Saina added.

Meanwhile, Chetan Anand has also decided to skip the Nationals owing to a thigh injury. The shuttler complained of interphalangeal joint pain and is hoping to be back for the German Grand Prix on February 24.

"I have been carrying this pain for the last six months and that's why my performance at Malaysia and Korea suffered. I am the world number 13 at the moment and the international schedule is very hectic this year, so I didn't want to take risk and decided to give myself time to recover completely," Chetan said.

"I have been taking this treatment for the last 10 days. I am 80-85 per cent fit but hopefully I will be fine within a week, so that I can play in the German open," he added.

Chetan said he is very disappointed to miss the Nationals as it would have given him a chance to go for a hat-trick of titles.

"It is very disappointing because I have two consecutive wins here and had I won this time, I would have been a national champion for the third successive time but I guess it was not to be," he said.

Chetan also has contractual obligations with a Bundesliga club and says if fit he will surely play for them.

"I have a contract with my club and if I am fit, I will surely play a match on February 22 as I will anyway be there for the German Open," he said.