World Cup 2018: Neymar Still Not Fully Fit, Rubbishes Real Madrid Links

Brazil star Neymar says he is still not 100 percent fit as the team is set to begin their World Cup campaign in just under three weeks.

The five-time World Cup winners take on Switzerland on June 17 in a Group E that also features Serbia and Costa Rica. While they are the favorites to top the group, if they have any chance of winning a first World Cup in 16 years, Brazil will need a fully fit Neymar.

The 26-year-old only recently returned to training after recovering from surgery on a broken foot suffered back in February for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and is expected to feature in Russia this summer.

Named in Brazil's 23-man squad, team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar revealed earlier this month Neymar could return to action for the first time in just over three months when the Selecao take on Croatia in a friendly on June 3.

However, there is a slight cause for concern now as the PSG man revealed he is still not completely fit and is suffering from discomfort when attempting certain moves.

"I'm still not at 100 per cent," Neymar told reporters Sunday. "This will come with time, although there is still an element of discomfort when I make certain moves. There are still a few days until my return."

While there are doubts over his participation against Croatia, with Brazil taking on Austria in another friendly on June 10 afterward before the World Cup, Neymar is confident of playing in Russia and insists his fears due to a lack of game time won't stop him from featuring.

"I'm ready to play. There's nothing that can stop me," he added. "The fear I feel is because I have stopped for three months, but it won't prevent me."

Neymar is also solely focused on Brazil and the World Cup as questions regarding his club future popped up.

Neymar scored 28 goals and 18 assists in 30 appearances for PSG in his debut campaign for the French side who ended up winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. However, it's been reported the Brazilian is unhappy at the club and is looking to return to La Liga this summer.

His old club Barcelona are linked but their rival and reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid are the surprising frontrunners, according to various reports over the past few months. However, Neymar called the links nothing but "nonsense" when asked particularly about a move to the Bernabeu.

"The focus is now on the Brazilian team," he explained. "They are saying nonsense. It's not worth answering."

The World Cup takes place from June 14 to July 15 as the Sao Paulo native will be looking to erase memories of 2014 when a back injury ruled him out of the semifinals that saw Brazil infamously lost 7-1 to eventual winners Germany.