"This injury is difficult, and the biggest challenge is right now, going to the World Cup after not playing for three months," the 26-year-old Paris St Germain forward said on a sponsor's social media channel.

Brazilian striker Neymar said getting fit for the World Cup following surgery has been the biggest challenge of his career and he is also worried about how his injured foot will respond to top-class competition.

"The expectations are very high, not just from the fans but from me as well, that's why this is the biggest challenge I'm facing."

He has been out of action since spraining his ankle and fracturing his fifth metatarsal on Feb. 25, which led him to undergo surgery in Brazil.

The striker said he feared he would miss the June 14-July 15 World Cup finals in Russia in the immediate aftermath of suffering the injury.

"I was a bit worried I might not be ready in time but after I had the scans, they...told me about the surgery, how long the recovery would take, and that helped to calm me down.

"I've started training with the ball, I've started shooting and passing and now it's just a case of improving," he added. "I feel good, comfortable, at ease. Of course, there is a certain worry, fear, but little by little I'll lose that."

Neymar, who joined the Ligue 1 club from Barcelona for a record 222 million euros ($265.18 million) last August, is expected to be fully fit by the time Brazil kick off their World Cup campaign against Switzerland on June 17.

The five-times world champions will also play Costa Rica and Serbia in Group E.

He has been out of action since spraining his ankle and fracturing his fifth metatarsal on Feb. 25, which led him to undergo surgery in Brazil

"This injury is difficult, and the biggest challenge is right now, going to the World Cup after not playing for three months," the 26-year-old Paris St Germain forward said on a sponsor's social media channel. Brazilian striker Neymar said getting fit for the World Cup following surgery has been the biggest challenge of his career and he is also worried about how his injured foot will respond to top-class competition. "The expectations are very high, not just from the fans but from me as well, that's why this is the biggest challenge I'm facing." He has been out of action since spraining his ankle and fracturing his fifth metatarsal on Feb. 25, which led him to undergo surgery in Brazil. The striker said he feared he would miss the June 14-July 15 World Cup finals in Russia in the immediate aftermath of suffering the injury. "I was a bit worried I might not be ready in time but after I had the scans, they...told me about the surgery, how long the recovery would take, and that helped to calm me down. "I've started training with the ball, I've started shooting and passing and now it's just a case of improving," he added. "I feel good, comfortable, at ease. Of course, there is a certain worry, fear, but little by little I'll lose that." Neymar, who joined the Ligue 1 club from Barcelona for a record 222 million euros ($265.18 million) last August, is expected to be fully fit by the time Brazil kick off their World Cup campaign against Switzerland on June 17. The five-times world champions will also play Costa Rica and Serbia in Group E.

Neymar's foot injury worries him, as he prepares to return

Real Madrid showed their collective strength in a clinical 2-1 win over Paris St Germain to reach the quarter-finals as the hosts slumped to another early Champions League exit on Tuesday.

Zinedine Zidane&#39;s side prevailed at the Parc des Princes with goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Casimero for a 5-2 aggregate win as they were barely threatened in the last 16 return leg.

&quot;Tactically we played the right way. We believe in what we&#39;re doing,&quot; Real coach Zidane told a news conference.

&quot;Maybe tonight they weren&#39;t so good, but it&#39;s also because we played well. Obviously it became harder for them when we scored the second goal.&rdquo;

PSG finished the game with 10 men after Marco Verratti was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 66th minute, but Real had done the job already.

&quot;It&#39;s true that Madrid deserved to go through. I think in the important moments of the game, they were better,&quot; PSG&#39;s Spanish coach Unai Emery told a news conference.

The defeat came a year after PSG went out at the same stage after losing 6-1 at Barcelona, having won the first leg 4-0.

&quot;I think they controlled 60 percent of the game and we didn&#39;t do enough with the 40 percent we had,&quot; he added.

&quot;Losing to Real Madrid itself isn&#39;t a disappointment, but being knocked out in the last 16 is.&quot;

PSG were in control in the first half, dominating in midfield, but without their Brazilian talisman Neymar, who is recovering from ankle surgery, they were toothless up front.

&quot;Perhaps the first half was the key. In the last 20 minutes of the first half we were better,&quot; said Emery.

&quot;I think over there we had the chance, it was 50-50, but we didn&#39;t take advantage of that,&quot; he added, referring to PSG&#39;s 3-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Zinedine Zidane's side prevailed at the Parc des Princes with goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Casimero for a 5-2 aggregate win as they were barely threatened in the last 16 return leg.

Real Madrid showed their collective strength in a clinical 2-1 win over Paris St Germain to reach the quarter-finals as the hosts slumped to another early Champions League exit on Tuesday. Zinedine Zidane's side prevailed at the Parc des Princes with goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Casimero for a 5-2 aggregate win as they were barely threatened in the last 16 return leg. "Tactically we played the right way. We believe in what we're doing," Real coach Zidane told a news conference. "Maybe tonight they weren't so good, but it's also because we played well. Obviously it became harder for them when we scored the second goal.” PSG finished the game with 10 men after Marco Verratti was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 66th minute, but Real had done the job already. "It's true that Madrid deserved to go through. I think in the important moments of the game, they were better," PSG's Spanish coach Unai Emery told a news conference. The defeat came a year after PSG went out at the same stage after losing 6-1 at Barcelona, having won the first leg 4-0. "I think they controlled 60 percent of the game and we didn't do enough with the 40 percent we had," he added. "Losing to Real Madrid itself isn't a disappointment, but being knocked out in the last 16 is." PSG were in control in the first half, dominating in midfield, but without their Brazilian talisman Neymar, who is recovering from ankle surgery, they were toothless up front. "Perhaps the first half was the key. In the last 20 minutes of the first half we were better," said Emery. "I think over there we had the chance, it was 50-50, but we didn't take advantage of that," he added, referring to PSG's 3-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Football: Real Madrid on song as PSG falter again in Champions League

George Weah, the former international soccer star who won the presidency of&nbsp;Liberia&nbsp;last month, promised a crackdown on endemic corruption as he was sworn in on Monday.

Thousands of exuberant supporters and regional presidents and dignitaries crammed into a stadium in the capital Monrovia to watch as Weah, who rose from the city&#39;s slums to become one of Africa&#39;s greatest footballers, took the oath of office.

As a former AC Milan and Paris St Germain striker and 1995 world player of the year, &quot;King George&quot; as his fans call him was no stranger to having crowds cheering him on in packed stadiums.

But he was also aware of the huge hurdles ahead as he replaced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in&nbsp;Liberia&#39;s first peaceful change of power for seven decades.

&quot;It will be my task to lead this nation from division to unity. I will not let you down,&quot; Weah told the crowd.&nbsp;

Weah, 51, rode to a landslide run-off victory last month on the back of heavy support from young people and the poor.

Making his speech in flowing white African robes, he promised to deliver on his key campaign promises, especially tackling the malfeasance that his predecessor is widely seen as having failed to do during her 12 years in office.

&quot;It is my belief that the most effective way to directly impact the poor, and to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor is to make sure that public resources do not end up in the pockets government officials,&quot; he said.

Founded by freed American slaves,&nbsp;Liberia&nbsp;is Africa&#39;s oldest modern republic. But it has been plagued by years of unrest and bloodshed, including two civil wars in the 1980s and 90s that were notorious for their brutality and use of child soldiers.

Johnson Sirleaf was credited with shoring up peace after that war, but criticised for failing to tackle elite graft or do much to lift&nbsp;Liberians out of poverty.

And in a nod to his opponents, Weah sought to turn the page on what was a bitter election battle, delayed for months by legal wrangling but which despite hot tempers on all sides did not descend into bloodshed.

&quot;We must not allow political loyalties prevent us from collaborating in the national interest,&quot; he said. &quot;Blood should never be the price tag for democracy. ... This transition was achieved by ... (the) democratic will of the&nbsp;Liberian people.&quot;

But Weah will also have to manage expectations, which are sky high following his win.

&quot;Today is a great day for me and my country.&nbsp;I expect job creation and development,&quot; said Agnes Echoing, deputy director of&nbsp;Liberia&#39;s lottery authority, seated in a wheel chair.

&quot;We will (also) need empowerment for people with disabilities,&quot; she said. &quot;I am excited.&quot;

The ceremony was attended by the presidents of Gabon, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Congo Republic, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso.

"It will be my task to lead this nation from division to unity. I will not let you down," Weah told the crowd.

George Weah, the former international soccer star who won the presidency of Liberia last month, promised a crackdown on endemic corruption as he was sworn in on Monday. Thousands of exuberant supporters and regional presidents and dignitaries crammed into a stadium in the capital Monrovia to watch as Weah, who rose from the city's slums to become one of Africa's greatest footballers, took the oath of office. As a former AC Milan and Paris St Germain striker and 1995 world player of the year, "King George" as his fans call him was no stranger to having crowds cheering him on in packed stadiums. But he was also aware of the huge hurdles ahead as he replaced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia's first peaceful change of power for seven decades. "It will be my task to lead this nation from division to unity. I will not let you down," Weah told the crowd. Weah, 51, rode to a landslide run-off victory last month on the back of heavy support from young people and the poor. Making his speech in flowing white African robes, he promised to deliver on his key campaign promises, especially tackling the malfeasance that his predecessor is widely seen as having failed to do during her 12 years in office. "It is my belief that the most effective way to directly impact the poor, and to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor is to make sure that public resources do not end up in the pockets government officials," he said. Founded by freed American slaves, Liberia is Africa's oldest modern republic. But it has been plagued by years of unrest and bloodshed, including two civil wars in the 1980s and 90s that were notorious for their brutality and use of child soldiers. Johnson Sirleaf was credited with shoring up peace after that war, but criticised for failing to tackle elite graft or do much to lift Liberians out of poverty. And in a nod to his opponents, Weah sought to turn the page on what was a bitter election battle, delayed for months by legal wrangling but which despite hot tempers on all sides did not descend into bloodshed. "We must not allow political loyalties prevent us from collaborating in the national interest," he said. "Blood should never be the price tag for democracy. ... This transition was achieved by ... (the) democratic will of the Liberian people." But Weah will also have to manage expectations, which are sky high following his win. "Today is a great day for me and my country. I expect job creation and development," said Agnes Echoing, deputy director of Liberia's lottery authority, seated in a wheel chair. "We will (also) need empowerment for people with disabilities," she said. "I am excited." The ceremony was attended by the presidents of Gabon, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Congo Republic, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso.

George Weah sworn in as Liberia president, vows to end corruption

Neymar played &quot;cat-and-mouse&quot; with Barcelona during the close-season before his move to Paris St Germain, Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre has said.

PSG paid 222 million euros ($277 million) to trigger the buyout clause in the Brazil forward&#39;s Barcelona contract last August, making him the most expensive signing in soccer history.

Barcelona had believed Neymar was going to stay at the club, with Mestre stating he was 200 percent sure the Brazilian would be at the Nou Camp this season.

&quot;What hurt me the most was the way it happened,&quot; Mestre told newspaper Diario Sport in an interview.

&quot;We were all on tour talking with him and his father, and they were not transparent.

&quot;If he came to us and said, I want to go, like Cesc (Fabregas), Pedro, Alexis (Sanchez), and (Javier) Mascherano did, we would have reached an agreement. What you can&#39;t do is rock the boat.

&quot;He played cat-and-mouse with us. It arrived at a point where we saw where things were going so we told him we would not pay his contract renewal loyalty fee.&quot;

Neymar and his representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Neymar renewed his deal with Barcelona in July 2016, which meant he was owed a 26-million-euros renewal bonus.

Barcelona did not pay it and deposited the money with a notary. FIFA, world soccer&#39;s governing body, is investigating an official complaint from the forward regarding the matter.

Mestre said Neymar&#39;s behaviour caused inflation in the transfer market.

&quot;He told us nothing. If he had done PSG would have been able to buy him for less money and it would have cost us less to sign players too,&quot; added the Barcelona executive.

&quot;What Neymar&#39;s behaviour created was the market inflation. We would have saved a lot of money and a lot of media noise.&quot;

Neymar renewed his deal with Barcelona in July 2016, which meant he was owed a 26-million-euros renewal bonus.

Neymar played "cat-and-mouse" with Barcelona during the close-season before his move to Paris St Germain, Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre has said. PSG paid 222 million euros ($277 million) to trigger the buyout clause in the Brazil forward's Barcelona contract last August, making him the most expensive signing in soccer history. Barcelona had believed Neymar was going to stay at the club, with Mestre stating he was 200 percent sure the Brazilian would be at the Nou Camp this season. "What hurt me the most was the way it happened," Mestre told newspaper Diario Sport in an interview. "We were all on tour talking with him and his father, and they were not transparent. "If he came to us and said, I want to go, like Cesc (Fabregas), Pedro, Alexis (Sanchez), and (Javier) Mascherano did, we would have reached an agreement. What you can't do is rock the boat. "He played cat-and-mouse with us. It arrived at a point where we saw where things were going so we told him we would not pay his contract renewal loyalty fee." Neymar and his representatives did not respond to a request for comment. Neymar renewed his deal with Barcelona in July 2016, which meant he was owed a 26-million-euros renewal bonus. Barcelona did not pay it and deposited the money with a notary. FIFA, world soccer's governing body, is investigating an official complaint from the forward regarding the matter. Mestre said Neymar's behaviour caused inflation in the transfer market. "He told us nothing. If he had done PSG would have been able to buy him for less money and it would have cost us less to sign players too," added the Barcelona executive. "What Neymar's behaviour created was the market inflation. We would have saved a lot of money and a lot of media noise."

Football: Neymar played 'cat-and-mouse' with Barca, says club vice-president

Paris St Germain shrugged off two consecutive defeats to beat Lille 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Saturday and open a 12-point lead at the top of the standings.

PSG lost in their previous league match against Strasbourg last Saturday, and then came undone against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek.

However, they led through Angel Di Maria&#39;s 28th-minute opener at the Parc des Princes and Javier Pastore doubled their advantage four minutes after the break. Anwar El Ghazi pulled one back for Lille before Kylian Mbappe struck in stoppage time.

Without the suspended Neymar, Mbappe was the catalyst for much of PSG&#39;s better work and it was his cross that allowed Di Maria to break the deadlock with a header.

It was PSG&#39;s only effort on goal in the first half but they added to their lead shortly after halftime when a counter-attack ended with Di Maria teeing up Pastore to score.

Lille were still a threat and El Ghazi capitalised on some mistakes in the home side&#39;s defence to score with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Mbappe sealed the victory for PSG with a lightning-fast run up the field and composed finish into an empty net after Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan had gone up for a corner.

The result left Lille still waiting for a first victory over the capital club since 1996.

Monaco can cut the gap to nine points later on Saturday if they beat Troyes, while Olympique Lyon and Olympique Marseille can also get to within nine of the leaders on Sunday.

Without the suspended Neymar, Mbappe was the catalyst for much of PSG's better work and it was his cross that allowed Di Maria to break the deadlock with a header.

Paris St Germain shrugged off two consecutive defeats to beat Lille 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Saturday and open a 12-point lead at the top of the standings. PSG lost in their previous league match against Strasbourg last Saturday, and then came undone against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek. However, they led through Angel Di Maria's 28th-minute opener at the Parc des Princes and Javier Pastore doubled their advantage four minutes after the break. Anwar El Ghazi pulled one back for Lille before Kylian Mbappe struck in stoppage time. Without the suspended Neymar, Mbappe was the catalyst for much of PSG's better work and it was his cross that allowed Di Maria to break the deadlock with a header. It was PSG's only effort on goal in the first half but they added to their lead shortly after halftime when a counter-attack ended with Di Maria teeing up Pastore to score. Lille were still a threat and El Ghazi capitalised on some mistakes in the home side's defence to score with three minutes of normal time remaining. Mbappe sealed the victory for PSG with a lightning-fast run up the field and composed finish into an empty net after Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan had gone up for a corner. The result left Lille still waiting for a first victory over the capital club since 1996. Monaco can cut the gap to nine points later on Saturday if they beat Troyes, while Olympique Lyon and Olympique Marseille can also get to within nine of the leaders on Sunday.

Football: PSG back on track with victory over Lille

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed today that Spanish forward Jese Rodriguez is in talks over a move away from the club to sign for Paris St Germain. 
 
The 23-year-old has one season remaining on his contract with the Champions League winners, but the desire for more playing time appears to be the motivation for a possible transfer to Ligue 1. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not a done deal but negotiations are going well,&quot; Zidane told the club&#39;s official website ahead of the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich in New Jersey today.&nbsp;&quot;Once we return to Madrid, we will know more about this issue.&quot; 
 
Jese scored six goals and assisted on six more in 39 appearances for Real in the 2015-16 campaign, but only started 12 of those games.&nbsp;The return of Spanish forward Alvaro Morata after two seasons with Italian champions Juventus will further limit Jese&#39;s playing time in an already star-studded attack that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. 
 
Zidane believes a move to PSG would be the best option for the player. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s the ideal place for him because it&#39;s a good team and he will score many goals there,&quot; Zidane added. &quot;It&#39;s an important club.&quot; 
 
A Real Madrid youth product, Jese was promoted to the first team in 2013 and scored eight goals in 31 appearances in his first season with the side. However, a knee injury limited him to just 23 appearances in the following campaign. 
 
Spanish sports daily Marca reported this week that Jese has agreed to sign a four-year deal with the French champions and would move to Paris for a fee of 25 million Euros ($27.98 million). 
 
Zidane did give a strong indication that Real may include a buy-back clause in Jese&#39;s contract, just as the club did when Morata joined Juventus two years ago. 
 
&quot;I hope that everything goes well for him and that he returns to Real Madrid, which is his home,&quot; Zidane said.&nbsp;&quot;Perhaps it will be a year and he then comes back.&quot; 
 
Spanish coach Unai Emery, who replaced Laurent Blanc at PSG last month, recently declared his admiration for Jese, a player he previously attempted to acquire during his three-and-a-half year stint with Sevilla.&nbsp;Should the deal be completed, Jese will become the first player from Real&#39;s first team to leave the club this off-season 
 
(Reuters)

Rodriguez was promoted to the first team in 2013 and scored eight goals in 31 appearances in his first season with the side

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed today that Spanish forward Jese Rodriguez is in talks over a move away from the club to sign for Paris St Germain. The 23-year-old has one season remaining on his contract with the Champions League winners, but the desire for more playing time appears to be the motivation for a possible transfer to Ligue 1. "It's not a done deal but negotiations are going well," Zidane told the club's official website ahead of the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich in New Jersey today. "Once we return to Madrid, we will know more about this issue." Jese scored six goals and assisted on six more in 39 appearances for Real in the 2015-16 campaign, but only started 12 of those games. The return of Spanish forward Alvaro Morata after two seasons with Italian champions Juventus will further limit Jese's playing time in an already star-studded attack that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. Zidane believes a move to PSG would be the best option for the player. "I think it's the ideal place for him because it's a good team and he will score many goals there," Zidane added. "It's an important club." A Real Madrid youth product, Jese was promoted to the first team in 2013 and scored eight goals in 31 appearances in his first season with the side. However, a knee injury limited him to just 23 appearances in the following campaign. Spanish sports daily Marca reported this week that Jese has agreed to sign a four-year deal with the French champions and would move to Paris for a fee of 25 million Euros ($27.98 million). Zidane did give a strong indication that Real may include a buy-back clause in Jese's contract, just as the club did when Morata joined Juventus two years ago. "I hope that everything goes well for him and that he returns to Real Madrid, which is his home," Zidane said. "Perhaps it will be a year and he then comes back." Spanish coach Unai Emery, who replaced Laurent Blanc at PSG last month, recently declared his admiration for Jese, a player he previously attempted to acquire during his three-and-a-half year stint with Sevilla. Should the deal be completed, Jese will become the first player from Real's first team to leave the club this off-season (Reuters)

Jese Rodriguez in talks to join PSG, confirms Real Madrid Coach

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