Injured Manchester United captain Gary Neville hopes to give himself a Christmas present by moving closer to a first-team return in the coming weeks.

The 32-year-old defender broke his ankle in March and his return to action has been delayed by several setbacks.

Asked about his current situation, Neville told MUTV: "It could be better, obviously - I could be playing.

"It's been frustrating these last few months but hopefully now I can train, maybe next week, with the first team and get back to playing in the next few weeks," he said.

"But it's a bit frustrating because every time I seem to be getting near to coming back, something else crops up. But hopefully I'm over everything now and I can get back playing."

Neville will be a spectator when United clash with bitter rivals Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.