Man United Team News: Vidic & Fletcher Back In Action

Manchester United duo Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher are back in action, according to reports in the BBC and The Sun respectively. Vidic played for an hour of a pre-season friendly over the weekend whilst Fletcher has resumed light running and ball work. Vidic missed almost the entirety of last season with a major knee injury sustained in a Champions League Qualifier in Basel, but the signs are that he has overcome his injury nightmare. Speaking after the game, he told MUTV:

"I felt well, my knee felt well and hopefully the next game will be better."

The United Captain was sorely missed last season as his side let slip an eight-point lead over rivals Manchester City to lose their Premier League crown, and his gradual return to match fitness has come at precisely the right time, with fellow centreback Jonny Evans set to miss the start of the new season as he continues his recovery from a broken foot sustained in the 4-4 draw against Everton in April. Midfielder Fletcher meanwhile has been missing since November with a serious bowel condition known as ulcerative colitis. The condition has afflicted him for a year now. In September 2011, he was ruled out of action for three months by the stomach bug which caused him to lose a stone in weight. He thought he had beaten the ailment, only for it to resurface in November that same year. There were concerns that the illness would end his playing career, and whilst he is still some considerable way off match fitness, it is very positive that he has resumed light training, and veteran United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is prepared to give him all the time he needs on his road to recovery. Speaking to MUTV, he remarked of his fellow Scot:

"The boy's trying very hard to get back to his level. It's not going to be easy but we'll give him every possible chance and see how he does. Darren€™s a terrific lad and we all hope that he can come back soon."

United received more good news yesterday with the reports that they have completed the £30million capture of Lucas Moura to add more steel to their midfield as they attempt to win a record 20th league title.