The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) hinted that Lee Chong Wei could be returning to Malaysia from his overseas treatement very soon.

The 35-year-old picked up a mysterious respiratory illness in July, which saw him pull out from the BWF World Championships and the Asian Games.

Coaching and Training (C&T) committee chairman Ng Chin Chai broke the good news for the media after paying the badminton star a personal visit.

"Chong Wei has been undergoing treatment overseas [for the past months] and hopefully he will return to Malaysia in two weeks' time.

"Then, he will rest for a month and if there isn't any problem, he can return to action.

"But doctors will advise on whether he can return to training or not," said Ng.

Throughout his absence, it was clearly felt as the national badminton team struggled to impress at the international level without him.

At the recently concluded Asian Games in Indonesia, Malaysia went home without a badminton medal for the first time since 1986.

Although Lee had vowed to return to the badminton court, his illness scare gave a reality check to the BAM on his retirement in the near future.

Hence, BAM president Norza Zakaria wanted to identify Lee's potential successors as soon as possible.

"We need to have a plan in the event of Chong Wei's retirement.

"Maybe due to [his illness], Chong Wei has attracted the interest of badminton fans because he has consistently brought good news for the country.

"The fans need to be patient. We have instructed the coaches to list out young players who can be groomed for the future," he said.