Pele has taken to social media to tell fans he is doing well despite ‘a little step back’ in his recovery after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour from his colon earlier this month.

The three-time World Cup winner was expected to return home shortly after he left intensive care at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday. However, he returned the ICU on Friday.

Pele has, however, since taken to Instagram to inform his followers that he has ‘received visits from family members’ and that he is ‘continuing to smile every day’.

“My friends, I am still recovering very well. Today I received visits from family members and I continue to smile every day. Thank you for all the love I get from you,” Pele said on Instagram.

Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento also took to Instagram with a photo of the pair to reassure fans that her father was already on the road to recovery following the procedure in September.