Gary Neville was again pulled out of a Manchester United reserve game last night in a further blow to his hopes of returning to competitive action after an absence that is approaching nine months. The 32-year-old is back in full training, but his first-team comeback has been postponed once more after he was withdrawn from a reserve match against Sunderland last night.

United presented Neville’s absence from the fixture in a positive light in a club statement, saying that he “has been training with the first team and will continue with that as opposed to playing with the reserves”. But Sir Alex Ferguson has been desperate for him to gain match practice.

The United manager said a week ago that he was “sure” Neville would feature and that it would be the first of “two or three” reserve games before the club captain was ready to return to Barclays Premier League action.

Neville was initially sidelined by an ankle injury incurred in United’s 4-1 win over Bolton Wanderers on March 17, but that problem had cleared up by August. More worrying, in the club’s view, is a succession of seemingly minor problems that he has had since then and restricted him to a solitary run-out in a Manchester Senior Cup tie against Stockport County on November 1. For the past four weeks he has trained unhindered but is still not ready to step up his comeback bid.

Neville’s problems are a cause for concern in the long term for United, particularly as Wes Brown, his stand-in, has yet to agree a new contract. Brown’s present deal expires at the end of the season and, in theory, he would be free to sign a precontract agreement with an overseas club from January 1 if nothing has been agreed.

United maintain that this will not happen and are aware that the defender wants to stay, but sources at the club have indicated that the parties remain some way off an agreement.

Better news is that Wayne Rooney has declared himself fit for Monday’s home match against Fulham, three weeks after he strained ankle ligaments in a training-ground injury.