Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has announced that Bulgarian football star Dimitar Berbatov will be part of the team in the forthcoming pre-season tour.

Although the rumor was strong that Berbatov would move away from the club this summer, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that the striker was still part of his plans.

"Nothing has happened with Dimitar and he'll join the tour to South Africa and China," the United boss said in a statement published on the team's website.

"He's a fantastic footballer," Sir Alex stated.

"It wasn't a great season for him last season, partly because I settled more with Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck... and Chicharito," United's boss explained.

"I don't think I treated Dimitar unfairly but he can feel disappointed that he didn't get more football. He's a fantastic talent," the Scotsman said.

The club's pre-season tour begins on July 18, with two games in South Africa (Durban and Cape Town) before they continue on to play fixtures in Shanghai, Oslo and Gothenburg.