Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Nemanja Vidic will not be fit to take part in the club's pre-season tour.

It is understood that the club will travel to South Africa and China as part of their build-up to the new season, but Vidic will not be available after rupturing knee ligaments in December.

"Vida won't be ready for going on the tour but hopefully he'll be ready for the start of the season. We sent him to a complex in Spain last week and he enjoyed it. It gave him a break mentally as it is not easy," Ferguson told reporters.

"He's been the only one in the gymnasium in the last couple of months or so because we've been reasonably injury-free. He's not running, he's just been in the gym."

United face Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday.