Injured Neville returns home from Asia

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Manchester United captain Gary Neville will miss the final two matches of the club's pre-season tour of Asia after picking up a minor groin strain, the Premier League champions said on Friday.

United, who will play South Korea's FC Seoul on Friday before winding up their tour in China against Hangzhou Greentown on Sunday, said on their website that defender Neville had flown back to Manchester.

The 34-year-old, who only managed 13 Premier League starts last season, has found himself ridden with a strong of injuries over the past few years, the most serious of which being ankle ligament damage that ruled him out of the final stages of the 2006/07 season and the majority of the following campaign.

After a positive 62-minute stint for the English champions against a Malaysia XI on Monday, the 34-year-old now faces a race to be fit for United’s league opener at home to Birmingham City on August 16.

limpper

25 Jul 09, 12:43

Ferguson plays down Neville injury setback

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says skipper Gary Neville will be out for ten days with a groin injury.

"Gary Neville tweaked his groin yesterday in training," said Ferguson following his side's 3-2 win over FC Seoul.

"He will probably be ready in about 10 days.

"It would have been silly to keep him here if he was not going to play so we sent him home this morning."

Given the muscular injuries that sidelined Neville for the best part of two seasons, it is a worrying development for the 34-year-old, although there is no suggestion at this stage that his career is under threat.