London, Jan. 20 : Defender Nemanja Vidic has told his Manchester United team mates that they can retain the Premier League title for a 20th time without him.

The absence of captain and defensive rock Vidic for the rest of the campaign is regarded as a major reason why neighbours City could pip United, especially as key midfielder Darren Fletcher is also unlikely to play again this season, the Daily Express reports.

But Vidic is confident manager Sir Alex Ferguson still has enough strength, experience and quality in his squad to win a 20th championship.

"Of course we are confident. We are challenging for the title and we are only three points behind City. It's good for the city of Manchester to have two football teams doing well - there's a lot of talk and banter. It's always healthy to have competition and we don't mind it. It helps us to improve ourselves," Vidic said.

Vidic also dismissed fears he could be out for up to a year and that he will face a fight to salvage his career following the cruciate ligament injury he suffered in United's final Champions League group game against Basle last month. (ANI)