If the Wizards' Arenas returns he'll be an "assist man"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Injured Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas is hoping to return to the line-up this season but has been told by doctors his mobility would not return before next year.

The three-times All-Star guard played only eight games before a troublesome knee injury forced him to the sidelines in November.

"I'm hoping to play this season," Arenas told reporters on Monday. "I want to play. It's hard when you have done something your whole life and then it gets taken away from you.

"Hopefully I can get back out there."

Arenas, 26, was one of the NBA's top scorers before suffering a season-ending knee injury last year. He had surgery in April 2007 and insisted the knee had healed completely.

But Arenas played in only a handful of games this season before suffering an injury to the same knee.

The seven-year NBA veteran, who has averaged 23 points over his career, admitted he came back too soon. He said doctors have told him to tone it down if he returns this season.

"They told me that this year I won't be me," he said. "I have to come back as an assist man. I have to try to stay out of going to the hole, and I have to be careful.

"They don't want me to go in there jumping or being acrobatic."

Washington (33-33) is fighting for a playoff spot but probably would not go deep into the postseason without Arenas, their leader and top scorer. The Wizards are 30-27 this season since Arenas was lost.

Although Arenas is working out, team doctors have not yet cleared him to play in any games.

"There is no timetable for Gilbert," said Wizards coach Eddie Jordan "He is showing improvement. We are going to pick up his workouts and make them a little more intense.

"Then we will take a reading of his reaction after each workout and see how it goes. We like how he is improving."

Arenas said he would work out over the next few days and "see how it feels."

"If it feels the same as it does now then I might just play, because that means it's not getting any worse," he said. "My main concern is not getting hurt again."

(Editing by Ossian Shine)