Nemanja Vidic marked his return from knee injury for Manchester United on Saturday after coming on as a substitute during the club’s Premier League match against Sunderland.

The 31-year-old had not featured for United since their 1-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League on September 19 and has since undergone surgery to fix a knee problem.

The United captain was originally expected to return to first-team action in the New Year, but the Serbian was fit enough to train ahead of schedule.

Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed earlier this week that the defender would definitely be involved in the game against Sunderland after ruling out a comeback in the Manchester derby.

The 31-year-old has only managed to make 11 appearances for Manchester United this calendar year with his re-occuring knee problem.

His return to fitness will provide a huge boost for a faltering United backline which has conceded 23 goals in the Premier League already this season.