Van der Sar relishing Ed-ing East

EDWIN VAN DER SAR is relishing Manchester United’s latest foray into Eastern Europe.

While Alex Ferguson has taken every precaution ahead of tonight’s Champions League encounter with Dynamo Kiev, getting his team to fly out to the Ukraine a day earlier than usual and taking a dietician and two chefs with his party to ensure there are no unexpected mishaps ahead of the Group F encounter, Van der Sar cannot wait.

A veteran of well over 100 caps for Holland and 65 Champions League appearances, Van der Sar has played in most of what would be regarded as the more inhospitable European countries.

And the former Ajax star feels there is special satisfaction in gaining victories when conditions are not quite up to Barclays Premier League standard.

“I quite like going to Eastern Europe,” he said. “It is a part of the world you don’t go to that often.

I went to Albania with Holland a little while ago and that was pretty bad.

“I don’t expect Kiev to be like that but the hotels and the stadiums are not generally as good. The floodlights are usually quite bad and the crowd is fanatical.

“Obviously, winning big prizes are the most important thing in any player’s career. But those games you play abroad, on a bad pitch, with a hostile crowd against you, they are good experiences as well.”

United have pretty good reason to hope they can overcome any obstacles in the 83,000-capacity Olympic Stadium, as Sporting Lisbon did earlier this month.

Victory would like Ferguson’s side on the brink of early qualification for the knock-out phase as they look to improve on last season’s semi-final appearance.

The Old Trafford camp are only too aware it would be a major bonus to seal a place in the last 16 well ahead of a potentially volatile trip to Italy for their final pool game against AS Roma.

However, Van der Sar, who returned to action in the 4-1 hammering of Aston Villa on Saturday after missing two matches with a toe injury, recognises United also won their first three games in last season’s competition and in the end struggled to get through.

“The earlier we qualify, the better it will be,” said Van der Sar.

“Certainly, we do not want to be in the situation we were in last season when we won our first three games, then had to wait until the last one to get through.’’

“If we can do well in Kiev, then beat them at home in two weeks, there is a possibility we will be through, which will take the pressure off in the later stages.”

Nemanja Vidic is in line for a Manchester United recall for tonight’s clash.

The tough-tackling Serbia international missed Saturday’s win at Aston Villa after suffering concussion against Wigan prior to the international break but has returned to Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad and is expected to replace Gerard Pique.

Cristiano Ronaldo will play after sitting out the four-goal rout at Villa Park, with fellow countryman Nani most likely to stand down.