Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 7y

Man United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 'I will be better than before'

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists he will return from injury better than ever and said if it was up to him he would make his comeback "today."

After scoring 28 goals in all competitions last season, the 35-year-old suffered a major knee injury in April and was not expected to sign a new contract with the club this summer at the end of his one-year deal.

However, Ibrahimovic committed his future to Old Trafford by signing on until the end of the season, though he is yet to start training with his teammates after undergoing knee surgery in the United States in May and may not fully recover until the new year.

But the Swede is still predicting a better season than his debut campaign in England.

"I feel good," said Ibrahimovic, in a wide-ranging interview with Inside United. "I have trained every day since I had my knee operated on, there is no vacation.

"When I come back to play football on the field I will be better than before, I am not coming back because I am the one I am, I am coming back to be a better version of the old one.

"I feel good and I feel my movements are there. If it was up to me I would like to play football today but it doesn't work like that.

"I need to have patience and that's the way we work. We are in no rush, when we are ready we will be ready. When I am playing again I don't want any excuses that I was injured, or 'he just came back, this is his first game'.

"No, I want to feel the same pressure I had before because everything happened. I am looking forward to that moment."

Ibrahimovic ended his first season at United with League Cup and Europa League winners' medals. But with Jose Mourinho's knack of winning the league title second seasons at Porto, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea twice, United's new No. 10 has set his sights on bigger prizes.

He added: "I think we can achieve great things. We have to remember the second year of Jose Mourinho is always the best one.

"This year will be very exciting and with these new players the team is stronger, and I expect us to do great things. I'm just waiting for the moment to get back to the team and to play with them and enjoy the moments."

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