Three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Adam Peaty is "quite confident" that he will recover from a broken foot in time to compete in Birmingham this summer.
The 28-year-old was unable to defend his 50m and 100m world breaststroke titles this month after sustaining a foot fracture during training back in May.
The injury was the first notable one of Peaty's career and forced him to miss the ongoing World Championships in Budapest, as Nic Fink took the 50m crown while Nicole Martinenghi won the 100m race.
Following a lengthy recovery period, Peaty has now affirmed that he is "90% sure" of defending his Commonwealth title in front of the home crowd later this year.
"I am 90% sure now. I am quite confident, with my training and team around me, that we will be there and able to put up a good fight," Peaty told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I grew up 45-50 minutes away from Birmingham. I am a Midlands man - I was born and will probably die in the East Mids. To race in that arena, it doesn't get much closer to home than that. It gives me goose bumps thinking about it.
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"This broken foot is one of the best things that has happened to me. It has slowed me down, reminded me what is important, which is family and the support around you.
"But it has given me that drive, I don't want anyone else to have those titles. I believe in the bottom of my heart that world records can be broken again and I am not finished yet."
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Peaty successfully defended his 100m breaststroke title from Glasgow four years before and won silver in the 50m breaststroke and 4x100m medley.
The eight-time Olympic champion also took 50m and 4x100m medley silver at the 2014 Games and became the first British swimmer to retain an Olympic title with 100m breaststroke gold in Tokyo.
However, Olympic diving champion Tom Daley has not been included in England's Commonwealth Games squad as he continues his break from the sport following the Tokyo Games.
"I won't be competing in this year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Before the Olympics last year, my coach and I decided I would take a year out from the sport to have some time to rest and be with my family. Can't wait to watch all my team mates kick some butt this summer!" Daley wrote on Instagram.
The 28-year-old will therefore not be defending the 10m synchro title he won alongside Daniel Goodfellow on the Gold Coast, but his Tokyo partner Matty Lee will be competing, as will Goodfellow and five-time Commonwealth medallist Jack Laugher.
Ben Knapton
