Sports May. 17, 2012 - 04:59AM JST ( 0 )

TOKYO —

Injury-hit Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda said he was “definite” about his return to form, reports said Wednesday.

The CSKA Moscow player arrived in Japan Tuesday to join fellow Japan internationals ahead of a friendly against Azerbaijan, after a nine-month hiatus caused by a knee injury.

“Let me be clear. My return is most definite,” he told reporters after arriving at Narita Airport Tuesday, the Nikkan Sports daily reported.

“I am convinced of that. I have never doubted it over the last nine months,” he said.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder was the driving force behind the Blue Samurai when they reached the last 16 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and when they won a fourth Asian Cup title last year.

But knee surgery in September left him with nagging pain.

Honda last played as a Japan international on Aug 10 in a friendly match against South Korea.

“I firmly believe the direction I took (to focus on rehabilitation) was not wrong. I want to make it a positive factor,” he said.

“Rather than feeling pressed in a negative sense, I want to regard it as positive pressure to inspire myself,” he said. “I will show my progress with my performance on the pitch.”

© 2012 AFP