New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has played down concerns that his ankle injury could disrupt the team's preparations for the 2014 season.
Manning underwent successful surgery on his left ankle earlier this month, although question marks were raised over whether he could have had the procedure sooner having picked up the problem in the final game of the season.
However, the 33-year-old believes that he chose the right time to have the surgery after injections failed to adequately solve the problem, and he is now focused on returning to fitness and learning the team's playbook.
"I think I'm safe to say I'll be 100% by the start of training camp. I would hope so. My number one concern is getting back healthy. Number two is learning the playbook," Manning told reporters.
"It's a little different from 10 years ago when I was a rookie in the NFL. I have an understanding of the game of football better. A lot of it is the same thing said differently, and there are a lot of differences, but I think it'll be okay.
"[Surgery] ended up being a smart idea, because when they went in there with the scope, they found some things that needed to be cleaned out. Once the shot wore off, we didn't know how it was going to feel. So do you have the procedure then? Do you play injured? This was the right decision at the right time."
Manning has been with the Giants since being picked first overall in the 2004 Draft, going on to become their all-time leader in passing touchdowns and passing yards.
Barney Corkhill
