Italy and Monaco striker Christian Vieri is confident that the knee injury he sustained is not serious and he will be fit enough for the World Cup.

“I’m already feeling better and think I’ll be out for a couple of weeks,” the striker told Sky Italia. “I’ll have to prove my form in the final stages of the season.”

Vieri transferred from AC Milan to Monaco in January in order to gain more first-team football, with the aim of making Marcello Lippi's Italy World Cup squad.

Vieri missed the Azzurri's friendly with Germany after he injured his left ankle while training with Italian squad the day before the March 1 friendly.

Last Sunday Vieri made his return to Monaco's starting line-up, but was forced off the pitch in the eighth minute after a hard tackle by Paris Saint-Germain's Bernard Mendy, raising fears that he would be ruled out for up to a month, but Vieri insists it is nowhere near that serious.

Marcello Lippi has repeatedly hinted that, if he is fit, Vieri will be in Italy’s squad flying to Germany, so Vieri can be confident of his World Cup chances.

“If the Coach calls me, then I should be at the tournament. Obviously, I hope I get the nod, but can only earn than if I play well for Monaco and score goals.”

The former Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan forward also commented on his notoriously bad relationship’s with some of the former Azzurri national coaches.

“When Arrigo Sacchi came to Atlético Madrid, I told him I’d only stay if he didn’t weigh down the team with tactics and systems.

“In his first month in charge we did nothing but tactics and systems, so I left. I didn’t have a good relationship with Alberto Zaccheroni at Inter, but I was happy with Hector Cuper and Sven Goran Eriksson is a great man and coach.”

Vieri cancelled his contract with Inter by mutual consent in the summer in order to join rivals Milan on a free transfer, but insists there was no bitter split with Roberto Mancini.

“I think he’s a good Coach. I played quite a lot under him last season and can say the important thing is that he always makes sure the players have fun during training. As for Lippi, we get on great since we had a fist fight,” joked Vieri.

If Vieri fails to return to fitness in time for the World Cup, Italy coach Marcello Lippi could recall the in-form AC Milan hit-man Filippo Inzaghi, who’s World Cup place is still in doubt and must secretly be hoping that Vieri doesn’t repair in time, or possibly Antonio Cassano, even though he has hardly played lately for Real Madrid.

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