Will return from injury in top form, says Neymar

Sao Paulo (Brazil), April 18 (IANS) Brazilian national football captain Neymar has said he expects to be in "better shape" for the 2018 World Cup in Russia than he was before his foot injury.

"I will have enough time to recover for the Cup and prepare myself," Neymar told journalists during a sponsorship event here on Tuesday.

"It's bad to get injured, but I'm well-rested now, which is good."

The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker also said that he will have his last post-surgery medical exam on May 17 and could be available for his national team's training sessions starting May 21 near Rio de Janeiro, reports EFE news agency.

Neymar arrived in Brazil in early March, when he underwent surgery to repair the hairline fracture of the fifth metatarsal he sustained late in PSG's 3-0 win over Marseille in February.

He cited fellow Brazilian players Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus, as well as Egypt's Mohamed Salah, Belgium's Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne and Uruguay's Luis Suarez as some of the players who will stand out during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The Brazilian team is pinning high hopes on Neymar to help win its sixth World Cup.

Brazil's first match in the championship will be against the Swiss national team on June 17.

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