Report: Joe Hart expected to return earlier than estimated 3-4 weeks

Manchester City could have the luxury of choosing its first-team 'keeper ahead of a crucial Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain as Joe Hart looks set to make an early return from a calf injury.

Matt Law of The Telegraph reports that scans on the England international's calf revealed the injury is not as severe as initially feared, and that Hart is expected to be available ahead of City's meeting with the French champions on April 6.

The PSG encounter is seen as a "realistic" return date for Hart rather than the three-to-four-week estimate manager Manuel Pellegrini gave reporters after the 28-year-old sustained the injury against Manchester United on Sunday.

The knock, however, forced Hart to pull out of the English national team for the country's friendly matches against Germany and Italy.

His early return would help offset City's banged up defensive unit after Vincent Kompany was ruled out for a month with a recurrence of the calf issue that's plagued him for a majority of the Premier League season.

Nicolas Otamendi was also absent through injury during City's Manchester derby loss after damaging his knee against Dynamo Kyiv on March 15.