Winger Clyde Rathbone is prepared to end his tortured 2005 by sacrificing a place on the Wallabies' European tour to totally overcome a worrying knee injury.

Rathbone is in a race against time to be fit for next month's four-Test tour due to a lingering case of patella tendonitis but won't rush his recovery.

The chronic left knee problem has tormented the tackle-shedding flyer all year, restricting him to just four Tests.

Australian rugby's headline-grabbing success story of 2004, Rathbone has told Wallabies and ACT Brumbies medicos he wants to wait until the joint is back to full strength before playing again.

"I've made it clear that whenever I come back to play I want the knee to be 100 per cent right and everyone's on the same page," he said.

"They just want me to be back playing the way I can as opposed to running around on one leg.

"It is really a frustrating thing in that it's one of those injuries that you can't force along.

"If I go on the tour or not I just want to make sure that when I come back next that I'm really, really in good nick."

Rathbone, fellow speedster Ben Tune (knee) and No.8 David Lyons (groin) are the three main injury concerns as Wallabies coach Eddie Jones mulls over a 30 to 32-man tour squad with his fellow selectors.

Jones will next Tuesday announce his squad for the Tests against France, England, Ireland and Wales.

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