Van Nistelrooy expects United return

Ruud van Nistelrooy expects to return to Manchester United for pre-season training after the World Cup despite his end-of-season row with boss Alex Ferguson.

Van Nistelrooy, 29, missed the final game of the season and drove away from Old Trafford ahead of the clash with Charlton, with suggestions he could leave the club in the summer.

However, the Holland striker, who scored for his country against Ivory Coast in Germany, will return to United when they begin preparations to challenge Chelsea for the Barclays Premiership.

“I don’t know what has gone wrong,” said Van Nistelrooy in The Sun. “I have two years left on my contract and, unless anybody tells me differently, I will return to Manchester for pre-season training.”