Zlatan Ibrahimovic gives his trademark smile as he relaxes by the pool in Miami..sans a leg brace!

The horrific injury suffered during Manchester United's Europa League match again Anderlecht last month, is past now. With the knee surgery done successfully, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is steadily on the road to recovery.

For the first time, the 35-year-old Swedish forward has been pictured without a knee brace. The swollen knee is however, way too visible.

Check out the photos here

Dr. Freddie Fu, the surgeon who operated on Zlatan, had mentioned that he was left stunned with the footballer's physical abilities of healing so fast. Even after suffering torn ACL and PCL, Zlatan was in superb shape, claimed the award-winning knee surgeon Dr Fu, who conducted the surgery at the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Center. 

Only question remains now how fast does Ibrahimovic's recovery take place. And is he indeed returning to Manchester United for next season.

The footballer's agent, Mino Raiola, is also tight-lipped about his client's upcoming ventures, which includes a possible transfer to...any football club around the world.

"Zlatan has started rehabilitation at the hospital. His knee is so strong that the doctors said they had never seen anything like it. He has a knee that it is almost impossible for a football player with a 20-year career to have. It was quite clean... there was no harm in it," said Raiola to Swedish publication Expressen.

"Zlatan is so strong that the doctor wants him back after his career to research on him. They work in the world's best research institutions for the knees and ligaments. They research a lot on the subject and that is why they are better than everyone else. And the doctors want back Zlatan to do research on him.

"So after Zlatan's career, we will go back and open him up again to do research on his ligaments."