Rio making good progress

Rio Ferdiand will be back in a Manchester United shirt by early September. Speaking on Sunday, Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson said the inspirational defender has made a good recovery from the knee ligament injury he suffered in the lead up to the World Cup, and while he won’t be ready to take on Newcastle in United’s opening game of the season, he will be fit to play a few weeks later. "Rio is probably around six weeks away from playing," Ferguson told the Manchester United website. Meanwhile, in some positive news for United, right-back Gary Neville and winger Antonio Valencia have returned to full training following a calf injuries.