Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out the possibility of Nemanja Vidic returning to the Manchester United starting lineup for next Sunday's derby encounter with rivals Manchester City.

United skipper Vidic has been out of action since September with a knee injury that required surgery to correct.

Despite reports that he would be out until January, it is believed that the Serbian will feature during United's Champions League clash against CFR Cluj on Wednesday night.

That news then led to further speculation that if he came through unscathed against the Romanians, Ferguson may consider recalling him in time for the short trip to the Etihad Stadium.

However, Ferguson has insisted that they will not be rushing the 31-year-old back too quickly.

When asked if Vidic could start the derby, Ferguson replied: "No, no, no, but Wednesday is a good starting point, although it depends on the lad himself. It will be a big bonus to have him back."

United will head into the derby three points clear of City at the top of the Premier League table.