Mark Selby: World champion close to return from broken toe

Selby has won the World Championship in three of the past four seasons

World champion and world number one Mark Selby expects to return to action later this month after missing the start of the season with a broken toe.

The 34-year-old dropped a piece of glass on his foot while practising at his Leicester home.

"I had to wear a protective boot for three weeks and they said it would take four to six weeks to heal," Selby said.

"I had to pull out of the Riga Masters but I'm lucky it didn't happen at a busier time of the season."

Selby, who is set to play in the Hong Kong Masters invitational event which starts on 20 July, won the World Championship for the third time on 1 May, beating John Higgins in the final.

His victory in snooker's showpiece event was his fifth ranking event win of the season.

"It will be very difficult to replicate that," Selby said. "To win five events in one season was more than I expected.

"But there's no danger of me taking my foot off the gas - that will only happen when I stop enjoying it. I love competing and I will be practising as hard as ever this season."