Three opponents Anthony Joshua could face in December as he gets set for return

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Anthony Joshua has been linked with return fights against Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte for his ring return in December.

American coach Robert Garcia, who was brought into the Brit's team for the rematch with the Ukraine, revealed how Joshua wants to fight again in November but has been told to wait a further month by promoter Eddie Hearn.

"Eddie Hearn entered the [dressing] room to be with us, and one thing that I liked was that Anthony quickly told him that he wanted to fight again, and do it soon”, Garcia told izquierdazo.

READ MORE: Anthony Joshua's coach reveals date former heavyweight champion will return to ring

“He told Hearn that he wants to fight in November. Hearn replied that he can arrange a fight for December, not November. But Anthony answered that he wants to fight as soon as possible, because he doesn’t want to be seen as a loser. He said that he wants to be back soon and win."

Hearn has come out and said that former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder and ex-foe Whyte could be potential foes. But neither man is going to face Joshua in December.

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Wilder will end his 12-month absence from the sport since losing to Tyson Fury last year when he takes on Robert Helenius in New York on October 15

While Whyte is in talks with another British heavyweight about a showdown later this year and even if discussions for that fight falter, Joshua is not expected to go into a fight with the man he beat in December 2015 straight away.

But there are a number of opponents out there for the Watford warrior. There are others but here are three who will be considered:

Otto Wallin

The Swede has become a bit of an anomaly in the heavyweight division since he gave Tyson Fury a scare back in September 2019 when he opened up a horror cut over the Gyspy King's eye and pushed him all the way in a tense affair in Las Vegas.

He has fought and won four times since, most recently labouring to a points victory against Kamil Sokolowski back in June in Cardiff. He was due to face Dillian Whyte last year but the Brit pulled out with a shoulder injury.

Wallin remains keen to fight Joshua and the pair shared the ring as amateurs, a fight the Swede lost so he would be out for revenge in the pro ranks. It would provide a stiff test for Joshua.

Zhang Zhilei

The Chinese heavyweight suffered a controversial loss on the undercard of Joshua's defeat by Usyk. Zhang looked to have done enough to beat rising star Filip Hrgovic but dropped a unanimous decision defeat against the Croatian.

He could still get a shot at Joshua and there has been talk of taking the fight over to China. Joshua's promoter Hearn has teased a big fight in the Far East before and it would bring Joshua into a new territory and grow his worldwide brand further.

Zhang would be a battle but an impressive win would catapult Joshua back into contention for a world title.

Agit Kabayel

This would be the easiest touch out of the three for a return fight for Joshua but the perfect one to get his confidence back against. The German is unbeaten in 22 fights and ranked with the IBF, WBA and WBC so a credible foe in that sense.

He was also considered for Tyson Fury when the Gypsy King looked like he would have an interim bout between his second and third clashes with Deontay Wilder.

Some fans may react angrily to someone of Kabayel's level but he has a win over Derek Chisora, a long-time friend of Joshua, so there would be some spice to it.

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