Italian football medical expert Professor Pier Paolo Mariani is confident AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic can return to his best.

The veteran suffered a suspected Achilles injury in training on Monday.

“I can't talk about things I don't know," Mariani told Corriere dello Sport. “I'll just say that a champion like Ibrahimovic can definitely start expressing himself on the level he is used to.

“I don't know the timing because I don't know the extent of the injury, so I can't evaluate how much strength or elasticity it could lose.

“It depends on many factors. Certainly, at 38 or 39 years of age, it can depend on the psychological factors of the athlete. If he's motivated, if he has the will to recover after a long period out, nothing can prevent him from returning to his standard level."