Manchester United Dugout

Rio Ferdinand could finally return to full training in 2 weeks time for Manchester United. The news of his recovery and return to Carrington Training Ground was revealed by Sir Alex Ferguson recently.

Rio has been out of action since October 2009 and was ruled out until 2010 after the medical staff at Manchester United felt the need of allowing Rio to recover from his injured back problems. He has only played in five Premier League starts this season, with his last coming in the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

In a bid to seal his place for the World Cup, Rio has been working hard to keep his fitness levels. Manchester United have done the best they could for the English defender and believe they have finally solved his injury problems.

Sir Alex Ferguson said, “I’m very happy with Rio’s progress. He has been doing a lot of running and could be back in action in two weeks. But one thing is certain, having waited this long we will not bring him back until he’s 100 per cent.”

United now face a Burnley side which is without a manager since the departure of Owen Coyle to Bolton. The next game will be a Manchester derby when Man United take on Manchester City in their rearranged League Cup semi-final. However, Rio Ferdinand is expected to miss both these games and could only return to face Hull City when the Tigers arrive at Old Trafford on January 23.

Manchester United skipper, Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of action for about 10 games. Rio can be back only after the New Year if his recovery from an injured back is successful.

The medical staff at Old Trafford has said that Rio needs at least six weeks of rest and physio work to heal his injured back. This injury comes at a wrong time for the Red Devils as their skipper may not be able to play any of United’s 11 remaining fixtures in 2009.

Rio Ferdinand has been plagued by back trouble since last season but he was offered pain killers by the medical staff on a regular basis. There wasn’t any strong surgery or treatment provided to the Manchester United centre-back then as United kept playing for more than 5 competitions last season.

With so much football being played and Rio being a key member for his club and country had to play enormous amount of football. Also, he is working hard on his business and I think these stressful conditions have taken their toll on Rio. We have seen several poor displays from him this term, which does not happen often in the case of Rio Ferdinand.

Sir Alex Ferguson has finally decided to allow Rio undergo complete treatment even if it means missing him until 2010. Apart from his injured back Rio is also experiencing other problems elsewhere in his body. United medical staff is investigating the possibility that he might need his hip realigned to relieve strain on other parts of his body, including his back. This surely indicates that Rio will have a lengthy lay-off.

Rio has already sat out for 4 games since the 2-0 loss at Liverpool in October. And his absence until early 2010 means that he will miss another 11 games. That’s 15 matches, which is almost a quarter of a season.