Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe is reported to be considering not competing at Australia's swim trials in December, which would rule him out of the world championships next March in Melbourne.

Australian Associated Press said Saturday the 24-year-old Thorpe, who has been affected by glandular fever in the past year, has missed training sessions since returning to Australia from a three-month sojourn in Los Angeles, which ended in October.

AAP says a source told it Thorpe might not compete at the Australian titles beginning Dec. 3 in Brisbane.

Calls by The Associated Press to Thorpe's manager, Dave Flaskas, were not immediately returned.

Thorpe's coach Tracey Menzies told AAP that Thorpe has yet to be ruled out of the December trials.

``Not that I know of yet,'' Menzies said.

Thorpe has not competed at a major international meet since the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won the 200- and 400-metre freestyle events. He was ruled out of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March because of the bout of glandular fever, but said his goal is to peak again at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Between 1999 and 2002, Thorpe broke 13 long-course world records. He has not broken a world mark since, but his best times were good enough to win gold over 200 and 400 metres at Athens.