Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic will be fit to return for the
start of the new season, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed.
Vidic will be back after eight months out with a
knee injury
, while fellow defender Chris Smalling is expected to have recovered from a groin problem.
But defender Jonny Evans (ankle) will not be ready for the Premier League opener against Everton on 20 August.
"Vidic will start the season, I am sure of that," said Ferguson.
Nemanja Vidic
- Has made more than 150 appearances for United and been capped over 50 times by Serbia
- Winner of two Barclays Premier League Player of the Season awards
- In 2008-09 helped United to a run of 14 consecutive clean sheets
Neither Vidic nor Smalling are
on United's pre-season tour of South Africa as they work with
specialists at the training ground.
"Nemanja is still at the level of doing good amounts of
training, but not in the competitive sense that the others have done so
it was pointless bringing him out here," said Ferguson.
"He is better being back at Carrington, with all the facilities and the physios to get him to the next level. By the time we get back, we hope he is at the competitive element of his comeback."
Serbia international Vidic made just 11 appearances for United last season before suffering the injury in the Champions League defeat to Basel in December.
Smalling missed out on England's Euro 2012 squad after picking up his injury in May .
"Chris has done a bit of training, is gradually progressing and I expect him to start the season," Ferguson added.
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