Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are nearing a return.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference for United's UEFA Champions League clash with Braga at Old Trafford on Tuesday, the boss explained how both are on the road to recovery.

"Chris Smalling trained this morning with Warren Joyce's Reserves," Sir Alex said.

"He's trained with them for a couple of days. It's non-contact for him at the moment - he's just playing as a free player, a floating player, in the training sessions. The encouraging thing is that he's on the road back. There's no question about that.

"I expect Phil Jones to start on the football side of things on Monday. They're both around two or three weeks away, which is good news. They're not far away."