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 Sir Alex Ferguson identified today 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 on Sunday 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 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

"It is still taking time," the defender said. "The more games you get the better you feel, and I would put myself in that category. But 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, but 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. "Rio's training well now. He missed a couple of games and panicked a little bit, as we all did. We were all thinking 'here we go again', but he's fine and looking good. He and Vidic were brilliant on Wednesday and it gives us a big chance. I see the two of them together and there's a sense of security with their experience, their authority, that understanding with each other. It's great to see."

Ferguson is also encouraged by the latest diagnosis on Ryan Giggs, who is expected to be back from his broken arm when Liverpool visit Old Trafford next Sunday while Owen Hargreaves is scheduled to play in a reserve game against Burnley on Thursday after 19 months out. Hargreaves pulled out of a reserve fixture this week and has seen another knee specialist. "He's training again," Ferguson said. "He'll play in the next game, he has to because he's ready to play."

United equalled the heaviest defeat inflicted on Milan in the history of the Champions League and Ferguson was so impressed by the performances of Paul Scholes and Gary Neville on Wednesday he indicated they could both follow Giggs and Edwin Van der Sar by signing one-year contract extensions.

Scholes has already been told a new deal is waiting to be signed and Ferguson said: "I expect Scholesey to stay although I haven't spoken to him about it yet."

Neville, like Scholes, is 35 and out of contract at the end of the season. "He's a player of will and he's got where he has in life because he's got the will to do it," Ferguson said. "We don't bring him in every week, because we know the nature of his body, but on Wednesday he was outstanding. His drive - every time the ball went forward, Gary was up in support of the game. He's a good example and I can see him playing next season."