Vidic return a massive boost for Manchester United

The Serbia defender missed the Barclays Premier League champions' tour of the Far East and Australia due to a back complaint but featured under new boss David Moyes for the first time on Tuesday night and was delighted to come through unscathed.

"I am pleased that I have 90 minutes under my belt," Vidic told MUTV. "It's a long time since I've played a full game.

"I am pleased with that and I hope that after this game I can pick up my fitness and I will be ready for the beginning of the season.

"It's frustrating when you don't get the games. I've done some good training but it's different when you're playing a match.

"I got 90 minutes (last night) and we have two more games before the start of the league season. Hopefully I can get another 90 minutes before then."

Nani and Jonny Evans limped off at the Friends Arena with groin and ankle issues, respectively, but Moyes insisted afterwards that their withdrawals were not cause for major concern.

"Jonny actually got kneed on the ankle," the Scot said. "He thought that he was going to be able to run it off. But if we left him on then it would only have got worse for him.

"Nani just felt his groin tighten up and he didn't want to take any risks. Neither did we. We thought it was safer to take him off at that time."

Moyes added: "(Nemanja) was probably the big thing for us, to get him through the full game.

Source: PA

Source: PA