Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a beast. We all know this.

However, quite how much of a machine he really is will be put to the test in the coming months.

The striker has no doubt overcome many challenges in his career, but returning from a double cruciate rupture at the age of 35 is going to take some doing.

It's been quite the debut season for the Swede at Manchester United.

Having contributed 27 goals in all competitions, it's a great shame that injury is likely to rob him of the opportunity of playing for the club again with his contract expiring this summer.

The former PSG, Barcelona, and Inter Milan star is not one to be defeatist, though, and he'll be focusing on making sure he is at least able to play again at another club.

The surgeon operating on him, Dr Freddie Fu, has delivered some positive news on that front. It's still early days in his recovery programme, but Zlatan must be encouraged by what he's heard from the medical professionals.

Doctors have made a prediction 

As reported by Goal, Fu has told the South China Morning Post that he believes Ibra has "many years" of playing ahead of him.

“I can't discuss too many details, I don't want to get in trouble with Manchester United,” he said.

“But I can tell you he's in superb shape in all things. Healthy morphology, the quality of the bone and muscle, everything is as good as you can possibly see.”

Swedish publication Expressen explained earlier this week that the forward's knees are so strong that doctors have asked him to return so they can conduct research on him when he retires.

When that question was put to Dr Fu, he added:

“Sure, in the future absolutely, when he's retired,” said Fu.

“But he can still play for many years, he's so healthy, so strong, biologically, bone morphology, everything is absolutely very healthy.”

That sounds like very promising news indeed. It's hard to know who ought to be most pleased by this update, as United fans are already resigned to losing him.

No-one wants to see such a horrific injury curtail Zlatan's time on the pitch, though, and it will be truly remarkable if he does manage a comeback as the doctors are predicting.

Will Zlatan be as effective when he returns from injury? Have your say in the comments.