Van Nistelrooy set for Villa return

Ruud van Nistelrooy is out of Manchester United’s Champions League clash in Greece on Wednesday as he fights a troublesome hamstring injury.

Sir Alex Ferguson has pulled the Dutchman out of the Olympiakos match but believes he has every chance of being ready for Saturday’s home Premiership game against Aston Villa.

Ferguson said: “I have seen this time and time again. You keep playing him with a tight hamstring and you know you are going to have to give the lad a break, get it sorted then bring him back.”

The United manager stressed that the injury is not serious.

“He will be all right then – instead of all this in and out of the side. It is not even a pull or a strain. It is just a tight hamstring and we are pencilling him in for the Aston Villa game.”