Zlatan Ibrahimovic Says He Will Decide If He Plays for Sweden at the World Cup

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says it will be up to him whether he plays at the FIFA World Cup with Sweden as he gave an update on a return to action for Manchester United. 

The 36-year-old ended his international career in 2016 after scoring 62 goals in 116 appearances to become the country's record goalscorer, but a return has been speculated upon since they qualified for the finals in Russia.

According to Reuters' Philip O'Connor (h/t MailOnline), Ibrahimovic said of an international comeback: "The thoughts are there the whole time, but if I want to, I'll be there."

The striker joked about attending alongside Sweden legend Henrik Larsson on Twitter:

However, Sweden boss Janne Andersson may not immediately call him back into action if he makes himself available, per Goal's Robin Bairner:

"It doesn't change anything for me. It's great that players want to join us. I don't follow what is written and rumoured very much. I respect the decision he has taken. I've not thought more about it. To me, the situation is the same. And that goes for Pontus Wernbloom as well. If they change their minds, they are very welcome to come and speak to me."

Bleacher Report's Dean Jones believes the side would be better off without him:

Ibrahimovic was outstanding for Sweden, as evidenced by his goal record, but he's past his prime and without him in the side the team can become a more cohesive unit and perhaps be greater than the sum of their parts.

What's more, he has not played since December 26 after he briefly—and perhaps prematurely—came back from a serious knee injury suffered in April last year. He made seven appearances, totalling 187 minutes, before heading back to the sidelines.

Asked for a timeline of his United comeback, he said: "When I'm ready to perform. It's all about that. I want to get to the point where I can perform as I haven't been able to take part so much during the season."

Stu Forster/Getty Images

There are only eight matches remaining in the Premier League, and the FA Cup is United's only chance of silverware following Tuesday's UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Sevilla.

The Red Devils' focus in the remaining months of the season should be centred on making their often disjointed attacking efforts more cohesive, and Ibrahimovic's presence isn't likely to help in that regard given his lack of mobility.

Romelu Lukaku has been impressive lately as well, with six goals and two assists in his last eight games, so dropping him for the Swede would be a mistake.

However, should the Belgium international pick up a knock or need resting late on in a match, Ibrahimovic can still contribute if he's willing to accept a back-up role.