Soccer:Alex Ferguson has confirmed Manchester United skipper Nemanja Vidic will miss the club's pre-season tour. United are due to release details of their summer plans soon, having so far only confirmed a friendly in Norway on August 5th.

However, it is thought the Old Trafford outfit will head to both South Africa and China on their two-week build-up to the new campaign, with another match required should they miss out on the Community Shield on August 13th as expected.

But Vidic will not be available for the first part, having ruptured cruciate ligaments in the Champions League defeat to Basle in December. Ferguson admitted: “Vida won’t be ready for going on the tour but hopefully he’ll be ready for the start of the season.

“We sent him to a complex in Spain last week and he enjoyed it. It gave him a break mentally as it is not easy. He’s been the only one in the gymnasium in the last couple of months or so because we’ve been reasonably injury-free. He’s not running, he’s just been in the gym.”

Ferguson is concerned about the entire central defensive situation as he still has to decide whether to send Chris Smalling for an operation on the groin injury that has ruled him out of Euro 2012. Jonny Evans has already been told he requires ankle surgery, ending his hopes of a call-up to the Great Britain Olympic squad.

That only leaves Rio Ferdinand — who cannot play two tough games in a week — and 20-year-old Phil Jones available for this afternoon’s trip to Sunderland. “Vidic only played six games in the league and is coming back from a cruciate injury,” said Ferguson.

“Smalling and Jones are young players and, if they don’t get a summer’s rest, I can definitely see problems. They played in the Under-21 tournament last summer and have not had any real Premier League experience.

“Smalling was playing non-league football two years ago and Jones was in Blackburn Rovers’ youth team. So they need a break this summer.”