Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): Robin van Persie had a disappointing season with Manchester United, suffering from several injuries, but is ready to conquer Spain in the first match of the Netherlands at the World Cup June 13 in Salvador, he said here Sunday.

"I made progress in recent weeks," he said. "Although I have some minor groin problems, I would not call it an injury. I can't remember I played a match without minor niggles. I can manage that," Xinhua quoted Van Persie as saying during a press conference in Rio de Janeiro.