Nemanja Vidic: Rio Ferdinand is a great player and he'll bounce back for Manchester United

Nemanja Vidic has dismissed claims Rio Ferdinand is over the hill.

The Serbian defender is convinced his Manchester United team-mate will soon return to his commanding best.

Ferdinand, who is currently out with a calf injury, has made some high-profile mistakes for club and country this season. But Vidic says the 31-year-old will bounce back once he regains full fitness.

“I don’t think it is a question I need to put to myself - he is a great player,” said Vidic. “Over the years, he has shown how good he is. When he doesn’t have injuries, he is a top-class player.

“Rio and myself have had a few injuries from the start of the season and when you have the injuries, it’s difficult to get back your form and be on top of your game. In my case, I hope that’s in the past.”

Vidic, 28, insists he is 100 per cent fit after his own calf injury, and will follow up his 45-minute showing for Serbia against Northern Ireland on Saturday with at least 60 minutes against South Korea in a friendly at Craven Cottage tonight.

Vidic added: “Every team, maybe not so much Chelsea but especially ourselves and Liverpool, are losing so many more points compared to the years before, and not just off good teams.

“At the moment any team can win. I think this year the league winners will get maximum 85 points, maybe less.”

And Vidic refuses to rule out rivals Manchester City as title contenders despite their recent run of five draws in a row.

“They have good players, but we will see how good their team is,” Vidic said.

“I don’t want to say they don’t have a chance. When you look at the players they have, you need to respect their team.

“And they are definitely going to take points off the top teams.”

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, meanwhile, has been bluntly warned he has no chance of landing his top transfer target in the transfer window.

The Old Trafford boss had singled out Jack Rodwell as his No.1 pick for January, largely because of Chelsea's heightened interest in the England under-21 international.

But while Everton insist Rodwell will not be allowed to leave Goodison under any circumstances this season - or even in the summer - Ferguson was at least offered some encouragement over another player on his wish list.

Ironically, Chelsea will also provide the opposition in his pursuit of Denmark international Simon Kjaer, but it seems United have jumped to the top of the pile for the powerful centre-half.

And there was good news yesterday from the president of the defender's club Palermo, who confirmed Kjaer's contract contains a relatively small buy-out clause of just £11million.