The Australian has not competed since winning the 200 metres-400 metres freestyle double at last year's Olympic Games in Athens but has been back in training since July.
The 23-year-old had planned to return to competitive swimming at next year's Commonwealth Games trials in Melbourne but coach Tracey Menzies told The Australian newspaper on Saturday he wanted to start sooner.
"He just wants to get back in and have a race and get used to that again," she said. "He seems to be going not too bad so it will be good to get in and have a hit-out."
Thorpe is not the only high-profile swimmer on the comeback trail. Earlier this week Dutch Olympic sprint champion Pieter van den Hoogenband announced he would take part in the U.S. Open in December.
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