Rory McIlroy insists he has no concerns over his ankle as he prepares to defend his US PGA Championship title after a seven-week injury lay-off.
The World Number One damaged ankle ligaments playing football with friends in early July and has not played a competitive round since a closing 66 in the US Open Championship at Chambers Bay on June 21.
McIlroy's participation in the year's final major was the subject of some speculation in the build up but he is sure his ankle can cope with the rigours of competitive golf and he is not lowering his expectations.
"Expectation levels are the same," he said. "I have played quite a number of rounds of golf. I've been practising for over three weeks getting my game ready, getting my game sharp.
"I feel like I'm playing well. Hitting it well on the range. I've taken that onto the course in practice rounds and from there it's being able to take it from there into tournament play with a card in your hand.
"I expect to play well. I don't see any reason why I can't bring the sort of form that I've shown in practice rounds to the tee on Thursday afternoon."
Rory McIlroy
He added: "I played 72 holes walking in Portugal last week and once I completed that, that was basically like my fitness test.
"Four days in a row, 72 holes, playing with no pain, no swelling, no anything like that. Then we knew that, okay, you're ready to go. And if I hadn't have passed that test, I wouldn't have been here."
And despite seeing the injury seriously disrupt his summer schedule, McIlroy is adamant he will continue to try to live a normal life away from the course.
"I might take some precautionary measures next time because I rolled my right ankle at the end of 2013," he said.
"Obviously I did it a little bit worse here to my left, but maybe wear ankle braces on both ankles.
"But apart from that, I'm not going to stop doing what I do. I enjoy that part of my life, I enjoy having that normality in my life, something that I've done since I was a kid and I won't stop doing that."
McIlroy's injury-enforced break meant he missed the chance to defend his Open Championship title with Zach Johnson winning the Claret Jug at St Andrews after a play-off.
Jordan Spieth was one-shot away from claiming a place in the play-off as he chased the third leg of the Grand Slam after winning the Masters Tournament and the US Open Championship, and he will play alongside McIlroy and Johnson on Thursday and Friday.
"Jordan has played phenomenal golf for the last 12 months," said McIlroy. "And even to win the first two Majors of the year, have a great chance at St Andrews, he's taking up a lot of the limelight this year which is deservedly so. I mean, it's one of the best years of golf that we have seen in a long, long time.
"I guess as well, we live in such a world that everything's so reactionary and everything happens so quickly.
"A year ago after I won this tournament it was the Rory era and then Jordan wins the Masters and it's the Jordan era. And eras last about six months these days instead of 20 years.
"But it's just the way the world is. With social media and everything having to be instant, it's the world that we live in.
"And I am looking forward to being a part of that group this year. I was a part of it last year, being in the Major winners group and Jordan winning two of the Majors this year, obviously it gets me back into that grouping on Thursday afternoon.
"So it's something I'm excited about. I knew I wasn't going to have a low key return to the game and this definitely isn't it."
Spieth could potentially steal top spot in the world rankings from McIlroy on Sunday evening and the Northern Irishman admits that he is motivated by the competition provided by his American rival.
"Whenever you see someone put together a season like this, of course you become motivated," he said. "But as well you're inspired.
"I think the performances that he put in at the Masters and the US Open and even at St Andrews when he was so close, you know, they were inspirational performances.
"That's something to really, for him to be proud of, especially how he handled everything at St Andrews going into all the Grand Slam talk and everything. He handled it so well.
"I think even though I'm not that much older, I think if I was - he was 21 at that point - I probably wouldn't have handled it quite as well as he did.
"But yeah, it's motivation. Seeing guys like that, seeing Rickie (Fowler) win the PLAYERS the way he did. Again, inspirational performance, but again gives me some motivation to go out and try to play even better."
