Goal.com

The Serbian defender made his first appearance for the club since December in Sunday’s pre-season friendly with Valerenga, and is pleased with his return to fitness

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has expressed his delight following his return from injury in the Red Devils' pre-season draw against Valerenga in Norway.

The Old Trafford club drew 0-0 in Oslo, and Vidic managed to play for an hour after completing his recovery from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in United's shock defeat to FC Basel last December.

United failed to win a trophy without their inspirational Serbian stopper, and with the club already having seen defenders Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling pick-up injuries in pre-season, the sight of 30-year-old returning to full fitness will be of great relief to all at Old Trafford.

"I felt well," the United skipper told MUTV. "After eight months without a game it's obvious that you have to get used to your positioning, and still fitness-wise it's not as hopefully it will be in a few weeks, but I'm pleased.

"My knee felt well, I felt well and hopefully the next game will be better. It was frustrating, but obviously I knew I would be out for six months.

"I tried to make the best of it, to work hard and when I come back to be the same as I was before the injury. This was my target, and we'll see how good a job I did in that six months.

"It's hard, but it's part of the football career. Any sportsman has the risk of injuries and hopefully this is the past and better days are coming for me."

Next up for United is a clash with Barcelona in Sweden on Wednesday, and Vidic hopes that the game against Valerenga is good preparation ahead of their clash with the Catalan giants.

He added: "Obviously it was the first appearance for a few players, obviously myself as well

"It was a good test. Obviously the result was not as we expected but still we had chances we didn't score. I think it was a good game and a really good test for us.

"[Barcelona] will be a tough game, but obviously it will be a good test for us. We need those games before the league starts. We have to know it's a friendly game and it doesn't count for the trophies and points. 



"Last year we beat Barcelona in a friendly game and lost in a final."