Bruce Springsteen is in "great shape" amid his recovery from peptic ulcer disease.
Bruce Springsteen was diagnosed with the disease earlier this year
The 74-year-old rock star had to postpone his tour after being diagnosed with a break in the inner lining of his stomach but now E Street member Steven Van Zandt - who has played as part of his backing band since the 1970s - has revealed that things are going well and they hope to be back on the road by March next year.
E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt told PEOPLE: "He's in great shape. It was a very, very intense first six months of the tour — maybe our most intense ever. And so we're gonna come back with that same intensity, and it's gonna be great. We're gonna come back stronger than ever in March."
Steven went on to add that being in the band is "wonderful" after a period of time away when they were all unsure how things would pan out but is now thrilled that they seem to be here to stay.
He added: "It's wonderful, isn't it? Because we were gone for seven years. So, you know, we weren't really sure what was gonna happen. It could have been like, ‘E Street who?'"
Just weeks ago, the 'Born to Run' rocker thanked his fans for all of their support after he was forced to postpone the remainder of his tour dates for 2023.
Speaking on SiriusXM, he said: "Let me take a moment and thank my fans affected by our postponed shows for their understanding.
"I am deeply sorry but this belly thing, despite my ability to laugh at it, has been a monster and is still unfortunately rocking my internal world."
The rock star previously confirmed that he will continue to receive treatment for the illness for the remainder of 2023.
A statement on Instagram explained: "Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor's advice.
"With this in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, all remaining 2023 tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will be postponed until 2024.