Fit Fletcher keen to show United all-round worth

Manchester United FC's Darren Fletcher tells the latest edition of Champions Matchday about his return from illness and what it takes to become an all-round midfielder.

When Manchester United FC announced in December 2011 that Darren Fletcher would be taking an "extended break" from football because he was suffering from a bowel disease, many feared the Scotland captain had played his last game.

So that is why there was such a huge cheer at Old Trafford on matchday one when Fletcher came on for Paul Scholes in the second half against Galatasaray AŞ. "The condition never goes away and that's the thing I have to live with," Fletcher said of his illness. "Every day is a battle for me. I have to watch my diet and take certain medication or it could come back again."

Fletcher's return is perfectly timed. United have many creative players – Shinji Kagawa, Tom Cleverley and Ryan Giggs among them – but their midfield has been crying out for an organiser in the Roy Keane mould. A fit Fletcher, who admits he was a target for Keane's famously fierce, yet constructive, criticism whenever they trained together at United, could suit the job.

The Scottish international has been at the club since he was 11. Given he is the epitome of professional focus – his entire lifetime consumption of alcohol amounts to half a pint of cider – it is easy to see why Sir Alex Ferguson puts so much faith in him. Now 28, Fletcher made his United debut in 2003 yet came into his own in the 2008/09 season, when he started 42 games. Since then he has become increasingly influential and more rounded as a player.

"I decided I needed to see more of the ball and get more goals," he said. "I knew I could be a good team-mate, but I could also run beyond the strikers, make passes and get goals. I could become an all-rounder and not just think about what I'd do when we didn't have the ball."

Fletcher's hero as a child was Fernando Redondo, whom he watched hold Argentina's midfield together at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Not an obvious role model for a young footballer, perhaps, but it is telling that Redondo, an elegant defensive midfielder who added an attacking dimension to his game, caught Fletcher's eye.

Another key part of his make-up is his big-match temperament. He insists he gets excited about the marquee fixtures, not nervous, and is proud that no player has ever "torn him to shreds" in a high-profile game. Yet the most important ties have eluded him.

Suspension kept him out of the 2009 UEFA Champions League final defeat by FC Barcelona and illness cut short his campaign two years later, sidelining him for the final against the same opponents. Could Fletcher be United's missing ingredient? If he stays fit and well, we may be about to find out.

Season over for United's Fletcher after surgery

Manchester United FC will be without Darren Fletcher until the summer after he had surgery to cure the bowel condition that caused him to miss a large part of last season.

Manchester United FC's Scottish international midfielder Darren Fletcher has had surgery to resolve his ulcerative colitis condition and will miss the remainder of the season.

The Premier League leaders said the operation had been planned to take place at an "optimal time" and "in the best interests of his long-term health", adding: "We look forward to him returning next season with this problem firmly behind him."

Fletcher's struggle with the chronic inflammatory bowel condition caused the 28-year-old to take a break from first-team football between December 2011 and his comeback appearance against Galatasaray AŞ in September. He has featured ten times for Manchester United this season – including five UEFA Champions League group stage outings – and on three occasions for Scotland.

"Darren has trained with the team regularly this season and has been available for selection right up to the operation," United said.

Away-day tests for illustrious three

A Dutch 'Klassieker' headlines the resumption of the Eredivisie on a weekend when Manchester United FC, Paris Saint-Germain FC and Real Madrid CF face exacting away trips.

Germany: Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday 15.30)
When second-placed Leverkusen host Eintracht, who occupy fourth spot in the Bundesliga, it will be a meeting of two sides that have exceeded expectations so far this term. What is shaping up to be a promising season for Eintracht began with a 2-1 win against Saturday's opponents on the opening weekend of the campaign.

"The second half of the season will be more difficult for us," warned the visitors' coach Armin Veh, whose charges earned as many points, 30, as champions Borussia Dortmund in their first 17 games. "We have a team with perspective. Our first goal is to avoid relegation – that is my only goal. We will approach every game in a way that allows us to reach 40 points. If we get there, we can talk about the future."

Italy: ACF Fiorentina v SSC Napoli (Sunday 12.30)
Having ended 2012 with three successive wins, ACF Fiorentina have started the new year with as many defeats. Beaten in Serie A by Pescara Calcio and Udinese Calcio, the Viola were eliminated from the Coppa Italia in midweek by visiting AS Roma. Their quest for redemption begins against a Napoli outfit two places and five points better off in third. "We are missing a bit of luck," said Fiorentina midfielder Alberto Aquilani. "We are still playing good football, but everything seems to go wrong on the pitch. We need to react fast and the game against Napoli should give us a chance to show our quality."

Netherlands: AFC Ajax v Feyenoord (Sunday 14.30)
The Eredivisie returns from its winter break with an encounter between third and fourth in De Klassieker (The Classic). Both clubs are on 37 points, three behind leaders PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente. Ronald Koeman's youthful Feyenoord are proving that last season's runners-up finish was no fluke as they head into the first of two matches likely to demonstrate the strength of their title credentials – they host Twente next weekend after this visit to the Amsterdam ArenA.

"We are only three points behind, despite the millions spent by PSV and FC Twente," said the Rotterdammers' midfielder Jordy Clasie. "We are proving how far you can get with players from the youth academy when you give them time to develop. PSV and Twente might have the best players, but we have the best team."

England: Tottenham Hotspur FC v Manchester United FC (Sunday 17.00)
Gareth Bale has cited Tottenham's surprise 3-2 victory at Old Trafford in September as the launchpad for what the north London club hope will be a successful pursuit of a UEFA Champions League berth. Bale, who scored a superb solo goal in the match, said: "That win stood us in good stead. It gave us confidence and belief to do what we've done so far this season."

A similar result at White Hart Lane would be a significant shot in the arm as André Villas-Boas's side hunt down Chelsea FC, two points better off in third. United, who have won nine of their last ten top-flight games, have not lost both league matches in a campaign to Spurs since 1989/90.

Spain: Valencia CF v Real Madrid CF (Sunday 21.00)
A glance at the Liga table from this stage last term will tell you that Valencia and eventual champions Madrid were performing much better than they are now. Then the leaders ahead of FC Barcelona and this Sunday's hosts, the Merengeus are currently third, 18 points off top spot ahead of their trip to Ernesto Valverde's seventh-placed team.

"With our performances in the league this season we understand that people are critical of us," Madrid captain Iker Casillas said. "Winning the championship is obviously a big ask now, but for ourselves, for the fans who support us and for the badge on our chest, we must continue to fight until the very end."

France: FC Girondins de Bordeaux v Paris Saint-Germain FC (Sunday 21.00)
Held to a goalless draw at home last weekend by AC Ajaccio, Paris Saint-Germain FC will hope to make amends against fourth-placed Bordeaux, who are unbeaten in eight. The capital club, second in the standings and minus the suspended Thiago Motta, are aiming for their first win at the Stade Chaban-Delmas since 2005 as they seek to bridge the two-point gap to Ligue 1 pacesetters Olympique Lyonnais.

Alex, part of a PSG rearguard which has kept a clean sheet in each of the last five league matches, said: "We know it's always difficult to play against Bordeaux. They defend very well and are very dangerous on the counterattack."