Vidic on road to recovery

WELCOME RETURN ... Nemanja Vidic has been given the all-clear

NEMANJA VIDIC has handed Manchester United a huge boost after getting the all-clear to rejoin full training at the start of next month.

The Serbian centre-back, 30, has been out since damaging cruciate knee ligaments in the Champions League trip to Basel in December.

But although he is unlikely to go on United’s pre-season tour, he has made such progress over the last few weeks that he has got the green light to step up his rehab.

Vidic said: “I can now run and do some things on the pitch which is better for me psychologically because for the last four months it’s been every day in the gym, which is hard.

“But the worst part is behind me. I can look forward to the second half of the rehabilitation and work more on my fitness — hopefully, I’ll be fit for the big kick-off.”

Meanwhile, United are confident of overcoming a work-permit problem for Japanese attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa.

The Red Devils hope to push through an £18million deal for the Borussia Dortmund playmaker.

Yet he has not played the 75 per cent of international games over the past two years to be cleared by the Home Office.

Kagawa currently has only a 60 per cent appearance rate and United fear they may be forced to go through the appeals process to get their man.

Old Trafford top brass are ready to argue that Kagawa will become an immediate first-team starter, having been a regular in a Bundesliga-winning team.

They will also point to the fact that, at just 23, he has not yet had ample opportunity to gather the necessary international experience.

Kagawa is currently on Japan duty and more talks are planned over the next week to try to break through the red tape.

United suffered a similar problem in 2007 when trying to sign Anderson.

The Brazilian initially had his work permit rejected, before the club pleaded his case before a tribunal.