Soccer:Manchester United's makeshift squad returned from Tuesday night's victory at Wolfsburg bolstered by the news that several established names are due to return against Aston Villa on Saturday, writes Louise Taylor.

Alex Ferguson’s side beat the German champions without 15 senior players, 13 of them out with illness or injury but Nemanja Vidic Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney are all scheduled to return at home to Villa. With injury ruling out Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans and John O’Shea until the new year and Wes Brown also unavailable, Ferguson will be forced once again to field two midfielders in his defence.

“With Vidic coming back I should be able to have a back four of Darren Fletcher, Vidic, Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra against Villa,” said United’s manager.

However, a United source has dismissed reports that Ferguson could sign the former England central defender and current free agent Sol Campbell, who left Notts County in September, as “nonsense”.