Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta says he does not expect Neymar to join Real Madrid at the end of the season.

Neymar, 26, joined PSG from Barcelona for a world record fee of £198m ($279m) in August last year, but has been persistently linked with a summer move back to Spain to join Real.

The Brazil international has scored 19 goals in 20 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG this season, but he fractured his metatarsal last month and will not return to action before the end of the campaign.

Iniesta said he would be surprised to see Neymar join Madrid given his history with Barcelona, but added that the Barca squad would be stronger than Real's even if Neymar moves to the Santiago Bernabeu.

"To be honest, Neymar's future is not something I'm thinking about," the veteran midfielder was quoted as saying by Goal.com.

"Normally, when you leave somewhere it's difficult to go back. For that reason, it would surprise me more if he returned rather than going to another team, but we will see.

"If they sign him, Madrid would land one of the best in the world. But we would still have a squad which I consider better."

Real head coach Zinedine Zidane refused to be drawn on speculation linking the Bernabeu club with a summer move for Neymar last week.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, if you ask the players, if you ask me about Neymar, he is a very good player, but he is not a Real Madrid player," Zidane was quoted as saying.

"I have to focus on my players and talk about them."

Neymar is expected to be sidelined for three months due to his foot injury and return to action in time for the start of the World Cup in Russia.

Iniesta is part of the Spain squad preparing to face world champions Germany in a friendly in Dusseldorf on March 23.