Seth Rollins Talks Injury Return Timeline, WWE Rumors on Cody Rhodes, McIntyre, Fatu, Lesnar, Femi

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Rollins Provides Positive Injury Update

Seth Rollins has been out of action since October due to a shoulder injury, but he suggested Friday that he may be closing in on a return in the near future.

During an appearance on ESPN's First Take (h/t WrestlePurists), Rollins provided an update on how he is recovering from shoulder surgery:

"I will not be able to do anything this weekend [at Elimination Chamber], but we're getting close," Rollins said. "I can move [my shoulder] around. It's not in a sling anymore. It's feeling good. It was in October when I got the surgery, so you look at the timeline, we're getting close. We're not all the way there, but we're getting close, guys."

Rollins last wrestled at Crown Jewel back in October when he beat Cody Rhodes in a champion vs. champion match.

However, Rollins got injured during the match, and he was written off television on the ensuing episode of Raw when Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed attacked him, and kicked him out of The Vision.

Over the past several weeks, a masked mystery attacker has been appearing on WWE programming and doing Rollins' signature Stomp to members of The Vision.

That led to speculation that Rollins would return to face either Breakker or Reed at WrestleMania 42 in April, but both Breakker and Reed are now out injured as well.

Breakker reportedly underwent surgery to repair a hernia, and it was announced during Monday's episode of Raw that Reed is out indefinitely after suffering a torn biceps.

If neither Breakker nor Reed is back in time for WrestleMania, it is fair to wonder what WWE's plans are for Rollins.

He could face one of the remaining healthy members of The Vision such as Logan Paul or Austin Theory, or he could answer the open challenge laid out by Brock Lesnar, who is Vision adjacent since Paul Heyman is his manager.

Even if Rollins is cleared in time for WrestleMania, though, perhaps WWE will consider holding off on his return until he is able to come back and get revenge on Breakker and Reed.

Latest on Rhodes vs. McIntyre, Potential Additions at WrestleMania

WWE's creative team is reportedly deciding between a singles match between Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42, or a Triple Threat that also includes Jacob Fatu.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlePurists), it is a "virtual lock" that Rhodes will be part of the WWE title match against McIntyre at WrestleMania, and a match involving more than three Superstars is not being discussed currently.

Meltzer added that there has been some "frustration" in WWE over original WrestleMania plans getting scrapped, noting that some of "questioned" going with Rhodes vs. McIntyre at WrestleMania due to its predictability and the fact that they have faced each other multiple times in recent months.

It was originally reported by Meltzer (h/t Cultaholic Wrestling) that Rhodes vs. Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns was the plan for WrestleMania, but that changed when the decision was made to have McIntyre beat Rhodes for the WWE title in a Three Stages of Hell match in January.

Instead, Reigns chose to face CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, leaving McIntyre's WrestleMania opponent to be determined in an Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber premium live event on Saturday.

Rhodes is the heavy favorite to win and likely will, but the one bit of uncertainty relates to what Fatu's involvement will be.

Fatu interfered in the Three Stages of Hell match between McIntyre and Rhodes, initially attacking McIntyre before turning his attention to Rhodes. That allowed Drew to exit the steel cage and win the title.

Fatu has been at odds with both Drew and Cody since then, and SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis recently promised Fatu that he will let him get his hands on McIntyre eventually.

That could be a sign that Aldis intends to add Fatu to the Rhodes vs. McIntyre match at WrestleMania if Cody wins the Chamber match as expected.

WWE's Reported Outlook on Lesnar vs. Femi

WWE has not made the WrestleMania 42 direction for Brock Lesnar clear on its programming, but decision-makers within the company reportedly have an idea of what the fans want to see.

According to Meltzer (h/t WrestlePurists), WWE officials are "well aware" that a meaningful portion of the fanbase wants Oba Femi to be Lesnar's WrestleMania opponent.

On Monday's episode of Raw, Lesnar appeared alongside Paul Heyman, who cut a promo about Lesnar laying out an open challenge for WrestleMania.

Heyman welcomed anyone in the locker room to step up and face Lesnar, and he even announced Lesnar's appearance schedule in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 42.

There were noticeable chants for Femi during the promo, which was a continuation of the interest fans showed in Lesnar vs. Femi at Royal Rumble.

During the men's Royal Rumble match, Lesnar and Femi had a stare-down that elicited a big response from the crowd, and Lesnar went on to eliminate The Ruler from the match.

Meltzer (h/t WrestlePurists) recently reported that Lesnar vs. Femi is not a sure thing for WrestleMania, as Lesnar vs. LA Knight was listed on the WrestleMania lineup at one point in January.

There is little doubt that the WWE Universe wants a clash between Femi and The Beast Incarnate, and while WWE would be wise to make it happen at some point, it isn't yet known if WrestleMania will be the venue.