PARIS: Two months after undergoing surgery on a fractured foot, Neymar has arrived back in France to continue his rehabilitation.

After landing at the small airport of Le Bourget at about noon on Friday, the Brazil star went to his home on the outskirts of Paris.

The Paris St Germain striker had been recovering in Brazil after having surgery in March on a cracked fifth metatarsal in his right foot. He is hoping to be ready for the World Cup in Russia and it’s unlikely he will play again with PSG before the end of the season.

PSG’s next Ligue 1 game is due to be played on Friday night at Amiens. The French champions then take on third-division side Les Herbiers in the French Cup final at the Stade de France next week. They have two more league matches, at home against Rennes on May 12 and away at Caen on the 19th.

PSG sealed the Ligue 1 title last month with five games to spare but has delayed celebrations until the Rennes match at the Parc des Princes, making sure Neymar could attend the party in front of home fans.

Neymar’s injury sent shockwaves through Brazil after the iconic forward had also been injured in their home World Cup in 2014, with the team losing 7-1 in the semi-finals to Germany in a landmark humiliation in his absence.

The 26-year-old forward — whose 222 million-euro ($263 million) transfer from Barce­lona to PSG last year made him the most expensive player in history — broke a bone in his right foot while playing for the French club against Olympique Marseille on February 25 and has been in a race for fitness since undergoing surgery in Brazil on March 3.

According to French sports paper L’Equipe, he has been walking without crutches for two weeks but he said last week that he would not play again before undergoing a final medical on May 17, two days ahead of PSG’s last match of the season, adding that he could be available for Brazil’s training sessions that start May 21 near Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s first game is on June 17 against Switzerland.

PSG coach Unai Emery admitted Thursday he had not spoken to Neymar for “some weeks”, as the striker stayed at his coastal mansion in Rio.

“I’m not sure when he’s coming, I’ve heard he is coming though,” Emery said. “He needs to be left alone to work with the physios, but we also want him to be with us for the last match.”

Neymar has scored 28 goals in all competitions for the French side this season since leaving Barcelona.

PSG were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League as Neymar missed the second leg, but have regained the French league title, won the League Cup and face Les Herbiers in the French Cup final on Tuesday.

The surgeon who operated on Neymar’s foot told Brazilian daily Folha de Sao Paulo on Friday the objective is “that he is 100 percent fit for the start of World Cup training”.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2018