Keeper Van der Sar eyes Man Utd return

Edwin van der Sar is fit and ready to return for Manchester United at Aston Villa on Saturday.

The veteran Dutch keeper has missed United's last two games with a toe injury picked up during the Premier League win at Birmingham last month.

Although the 36-year-old was named in the Holland squad by Marco van Basten for the Euro 2008 double-header with Romania and Slovakia, he was forced to withdraw, sparking fears he might be missing for longer than most people at Old Trafford had anticipated.

However, Van der Sar has confirmed he is now 100% again and should replace Tomasz Kuszczak at Villa Park as United look to extend a six-match winning sequence in the Premier League which has been achieved without conceding a goal.

'I feel good,' he said.

'I went away with the national team last week because I felt I could have played on the Saturday.

'Unfortunately, the progress was not quick enough. There was no point in taking a risk and aggravating it, so I decided not to play and focus on tomorrow's game instead.'

Although Van der Sar has been fortunate to avoid serious injuries during his illustrious career, he has been struck down by a couple of minor problems since joining United, including a calf injury and a broken nose sustained in a collision with Robbie Keane at Tottenham.

However, the former Ajax star has no lingering fears and confirms he wants to stay fit in order to avoid extra work during recovery.

'I am not worried about my foot because overall, I have not had many injuries,' he said.

'It is strange to go a couple of weeks without playing, so I am looking forward to being involved again.

'When you are injured you have to work harder than when you are fit. That is why everyone wants to get back as quickly as possible and feel part of the team.'