PREMIER LEAGUE:RIO FERDINAND has spoken of his hope that he is over the worst of his long-standing back issues, the Manchester United defender "staying positive" about his chances of being injury-free in this summer's World Cup.

Ferdinand is encouraged by playing successive games for the third time this season, resuming a partnership with Nemanja Vidic that Alex Ferguson identified yesterday as a key element to the club’s aspirations of defending the Premier League title.

When Ferdinand takes his place in United’s back four against Fulham tomorrow it will be the first time since October he has played three matches in a row. The new England captain was out for three months and Ferguson described him as having “panicked” when the problem flared up again recently. However, Ferdinand is encouraged by the way he coped with Milan’s forward line in the 4-0 win on Wednesday.

“It is still taking time,” the defender said. “The more games you get the better you feel . . . I don’t think negatively about it. I just think about staying positive and staying fit, being on the pitch. That is what I aim to do.”

Troubled by the injury for 18 months, Ferdinand has played 13 times for United this season and specialists have warned him the problem could recur at any time. He has minimised the risk with an individually tailored fitness programme. “It is what I expected. Once you get to 30 you have to adapt your training anyway,” he said.

The Ferdinand-Vidic axis has been the bedrock for much of United’s success over the past few seasons, and the resumption of that partnership has helped the team to keep successive clean sheets against Milan and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“They haven’t played a lot of games this season and to have them back at this stage is fantastic for us,” Ferguson said of the pairing.

“Rio’s training well now. He missed a couple of games and panicked a little bit, as we all did. But he’s fine and looking good.”

“He and Vidic were brilliant on Wednesday. I see the two of them together and there’s a sense of security with their experience, their authority, that understanding with each other.”

- Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has decided to leave his post at the crisis-hit club.

A club statement revealed Storrie had left “in the best interests of the club” after speaking with family and friends, although he will continue to advise them in a consultancy role.