Crusaders and All Black captain Richie McCaw has ruled himself out of this week's Super Rugby match against the Stormers and says it could be a month before he returns.

The Rugby World Cup winning captain has not played since he lifted the Webb Ellis trophy but he even though he can run now after six months of rehabilitation he is not able train with his Crusaders team mates.

McCaw has therefor ruled out any chance of facing the unbeaten Stormers this coming weekend in Christchurch on Saturday".

"I've been progressing slowly," he told the Sunday Star-Times.

McCaw said that it will most likely be another three to four weeks before he is back on the rugby field.

"People ask when I'm going to be back and I'm reluctant to put time on it because I'm still not really 100 per cent sure. "

"It's just a matter of progressing as you need to. "

"From straight running to changing directions, I'm just doing that so hopefully before too long before I'll be back with boots on and training, getting match fit."

Meanwhile McCaw has also poured cold water on a move to Italy later this season.

His contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union runs through to 2015 which would allow him a sabbatical but while he says it won't happen this year he didn't want to rule it out at some point down the track.

"There's no doubt, it's nice to have that option," he said.

"If you're going to get through to the next world cup, then that's something that, if it means carrying on playing at the level I need to be at, could be quite important. "

"Probably more so just not playing, rather than a playing sabbatical.

"When that is, I'm not too sure. Before I get carried away with deciding, I want to get back into this year and this injury and get playing."