United Rant

Rio Ferdinand, who has featured just eight times for Manchester United this season, will play against Hull in the Premier League Saturday Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed. The England defender, sidelined with chronic back complaint since the autumn, will return to Premier League action as United chase leaders Arsenal.

“Rio has been training very well in the last few weeks. He will play tomorrow,” Ferguson said at a Carrington press conference Friday.

Ferdinand first suffered a back injury as United won the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2008 and has been intermittently sidelined with the complaint or related problems for more than a year. The former-West Ham United player has not feature for United since the club’s defeat to Liverpool on 25 October – a match for which he was clearly not fit.

Meanwhile, central defensive partner Nemanja Vidic is two weeks away from full fitness, Ferguson confirmed, with long-term absentee Owen Hargreaves now training with the first team squad.