Nemanja Vidic, Tom Cleverley and Chris Smalling could all return for Manchester United's trip to Liverpool in two weeks' time, according to manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

While many of United's squad head off on international duty, Ferguson has revealed that the trio will stay at the club's Carrington training base with the aim of recovering from injuries in time for the match at Anfield.

"The most important thing is the work they do before the internationals finish," Ferguson told MUTV. "We really want to have Vidic and Cleverley doing some really strong work, and Smalling too, that would bring them on to a level that they could play at Anfield.

"You can't go there with players who are semi-fit or just coming back from injury.

"You need players who are fully focused and up to speed in terms of fitness and sharpness."

United remain top of the Premier League after Saturday's 2-0 victory over Norwich City.