Amir Khan says he is unlikely to fight again until next summer but is hoping to put on a show in Britain against either Danny Garcia or Kell Brook.
The former world light-welterweight champion has told ESPN that surgery, which involved grafting part of his hip bone onto his right hand, will have kept him out of action for a year by the time of his return, and that the injury has restricted his punching for most of his professional career.
"I've got about five fights left. I'm going back down to welterweight," Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) said. "I'll box again in the summer and I want to give the UK fans a fight -- it's been a while since I've boxed there, and they deserve one now.
"Hopefully, it will be Garcia or Brook. My right hand is getting better and I'm feeling really good that I've had the operation. I broke it in my second fight so had to get it fixed. I've got time on my hands, so had it done.
"Not throwing a proper right hand and holding back hasn't been good for my career. I've hesitated in getting the right hand out sometimes, and that's maybe why I've been caught by left hooks."
Khan was knocked out in the sixth round by Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas last May, having stepped up two weight divisions to take on the Mexican for the WBC middleweight title.
He had been expected to fight compatriot Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) instead, and talks with Sheffield's IBF world welterweight champion had started.
But Khan, 29, is hopeful a deal can still be made, with America's WBC world welterweight champion Garcia (32-0, 18 KOs), who stopped the Briton in four rounds in 2012, another option.
"If the [Brook] deal is right I will do it," he said. "I know what the fight can generate. I have agreed to take that fight before but financially I have to get what I need to get paid.
"It's the biggest fight left for both of us. The winner of me and Brook would go on to fight Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. I think Mayweather will come back for one more. I think he would want to fight again."