Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said that Nemanja Vidic is on schedule to make a return to the side next season.

Ferguson however dismissed ideas that the United skipper, who suffered a serious knee injury in the Champions League defeat to Basel in September, could make an early return to action.

"I think he's on schedule really," said Ferguson. "It'll be the beginning of the season.

"It won't be any sooner - I can assure you of that. There's no point trying to rush him for the end of the season, it's just not possible.

"So it means we'll have him at the beginning of next season, giving him a full recovery as that will be something like eight months."

Ferguson and United travel to Spurs this afternoon in a crucial game between two of the Premier League's top three.