Last Updated: Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:41
Nemanja Vidic could return for Manchester United this weekend as the club continue to carefully manage his workload after injuries.
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he could not "risk" picking the Serbian defender against Real Madrid last night because the game came only three days after his commanding performance against Everton.
The United boss chose Vidic to combat the aerial threat of the Toffees Marouane Fellaini on Sunday and knew it would mean he would have to do without the former skipper for the Bernabeu clash.
Ferguson told Sky Sports: "We tried to manage Nemanja and Rio and if he had that extra day he would have been alright, but just three days after playing on a really heavy pitch at Old Trafford it was maybe a bit of a miss for us but I can't take a risk on a night like tonight."
Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand were paired and kept a tight leash on the Spanish champions' attacking threats, but expect Vidic to return to the fray for the FA Cup home clash against Reading - who will operate with Pavel Pogrebniak up front.
If Ferguson decides he needs the Serb back in for the second leg of the Champions League tie it is likely that he will have to leave him out of the Norwich City home game which again falls only three days earlier.
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