St George Illawarra Dragons' Paul Vaughan hopeful of earlier than expected return from injury

St George Illawarra prop Paul Vaughan is in a race against the clock to be fit for the NRL finals because of an ankle injury.

The club on Tuesday confirmed the NSW State of Origin front-rower suffered a high ankle sprain in the weekend's loss to the Warriors.

He is expected to miss the next four weeks, putting him in doubt to be back on the park before the finals.

"I don't want to miss out on the finals. I just want to try and get back and contribute as best as I can," Vaughan told Nine News.

"Initially they said 3-5 weeks, but I think I'll be okay in 2-3 weeks, hopefully."

It's a blow for the Dragons who have slumped badly over recent weeks, losing four of their last five games.

"I felt someone around my legs, so I was thinking the worst," Vaughan said, re-living the injury.

"It's just the wear and tear of rugby league."

They currently sit in the top four on 28 points, but their place in the finals is in danger if they lose all four of their remaining games.