No workouts for Robert Woods

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LOS ANGELES -- USC wide receiver Robert Woods will continue to sit out summer workouts after an MRI revealed lingering inflammation in his surgically repaired ankle, the All-American said Friday.

Woods underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle in December after being hampered throughout the 2011 season. He initially planned to return for spring practice in March, but his recovery has taken longer than anticipated.

The 6-foot-1 Woods did not seem surprised by the results of his latest MRI.

"We were expecting that," said Woods, who observed Friday's unofficial team throwing session with a clipboard in hand. "It's getting better, but it's just taking a long time."

Woods hopes to be ready in a few weeks, although he won't set a specific return date other than "by the time fall camp starts," in the first week of August.

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Other than constantly icing his ankle and including more anti-inflammatory foods to his diet, Woods has been frustrated with his lack of rehabilitation options.

"The hard part about it is it's a bone -- it's bone inflammation," Woods said. "There's not much you can really do about it. Icing can only do so much."

Woods insists he's not worried about the long-term health of his ankle.

"I thought about it, the possibility of not being healthy for the season, of still being sore," Woods said. "But then I remembered I was sore all last year and I did OK, so I think I'll be all right."

Woods hauled in 111 receptions for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011, breaking the conference's single-season receptions record and challenging several others. But he has maintained since the end of the season that he could be even better in 2012 with a fully healthy ankle.

"I had some big-time goals for this year," Woods said Friday. "I wanted to run track so I could get my speed back and be a lot faster. But this ankle's been slowing me down. I picked up weight in the weight room, though.

"I'm still fast, but I wanted to be faster. I'll probably be the same speed as last year, with more muscle."

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