• Pre-season friendlies

Vidic completes an hour in Manchester United return

Wayne Rooney returned to the Manchester United squad © Getty Images

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Nemanja Vidic made his first appearance in a Manchester United shirt for nearly eight months as the Red Devils drew 0-0 with Valerenga on Sunday.

Vidic has been sidelined since injuring cruciate knee ligaments in United's 2-1 Champions League defeat to FC Basel in December 2011. The defender has since undergone a lengthy rehabilitation programme but Sir Alex Ferguson has always promised Vidic would be ready for the start of the season.

Assistant manager Mike Phelan started Vidic alongside Rio Ferdinand for the first hour of Sunday's pre-season friendly, and he appeared to come through the examination unscathed before being replaced by midfielder Anderson.

Wayne Rooney also featured for United for the first time since Euro 2012, but it was fellow England team-mate Danny Welbeck who had the best chances in a slow-paced game at the Ullevaal Stadion.

Welbeck was one of four players making their first pre-season outing since Euro 2012 - alongside Rooney, Nani and Ashley Young. Phil Jones and David De Gea were also on the bench. The young striker could and should have had a hat-trick by half-time, but was either guilty of wasteful finishing or foiled by the home keeper.

Shinji Kagawa, United's summer signing from Dortmund, was introduced with half an hour remaining, and he played his part in a late chance for Javier Hernandez, who was inches away from converting a superb cross from the Japanese.

Edin Dzeko scored twice as Manchester City beat Limerick 4-0 at Thomond Park in their final friendly ahead of next weekend's Community Shield encounter with Chelsea.

City broke the deadlock on the half hour when a weaving run from James Milner created space for the England international to roll the ball into the path of Dzeko, who bundled home from close range. The visitors doubled their lead on 42 minutes when defender Dedryck Boyata received the ball from youngster Denis Suarez and calmly slotted home.

And Dzeko found himself clear of the Limerick defence just a minute later, firing low and hard to put the Premier League champions 3-0 up. The second half was played out at a more steady pace, only reigniting on 78 minutes when 21-year-old Italian midfielder Luca Scapuzzi fired home a fourth for City.

Blackpool beat a strong Everton side with two second half goals in Keith Southern's testimonial at Bloomfield Road. The first goal of the match came in the 63rd minute when an inswinging corner from Gerardo Bruna was met by Alex Baptiste whose header went sailing past Tim Howard in the Everton goal. And the Seasiders secured the win in the 87th minute when trialist James Caton brought down Curtis Thompson's floated cross and slotted home with his left foot.

Wigan fell to a 2-0 defeat against La Liga side Mallorca despite dominating possession at the DW Stadum. Franco di Santo and Victor Moses both came close for the Latics in the first half but it was Mallorca who broke the deadlock two minutes after the break when Vmctor Casadeszs lashed a fierce shot into the top corner past Ali Al Habsi. Mallorca secured the win in the 87th minute when Sergi Enric got in behind the home defence and squared to Kevin Garcia, who smashed the ball home.

A Jermain Defoe header was enough to separate the two teams during a tight encounter between Watford and Tottenham at Vicarage Road. The only goal of the match came in the 55th minute when Kyle Walker broke down the right and fired in a cross that an unmarked Defoe headed in from 10 yards.

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