"I'll definitely be OK for the first game in Finland," he told the clubs official website.
"We've done a lot of possession and ballwork in training this week and the knee feels good. So, touch wood, hopefully I'll be ready for the pre-season games.
"It really has been a long hard summer. I've been up at Bodymoor Heath most of the time, getting myself ready for the start of pre-season and the first few days have gone really well, so I'm pleased with how the knee feels.
"It has been a lonely summer and I've not had a chance to do much. But the main thing for me was to get myself fit and ready. Once the new manager took over, I was determined to get into his plans for the start of the season."