David Moyes given midfielder who will improve depth of squad

Fletcher

Darren Fletcher played his first game of football for Manchester United at any level last week and David Moyes admitted it was great to have him back in the squad.

The 29-year-old was out for nearly ten months following surgery to battle his ongoing ulcerative colitis condition and after a long rehabilitation process, he featured in our Under-21s match against Fulham.


His range of passing was fantastic and he lasted a solid 60 minutes, something Moyes hopes he can continue to do so long as his training continues as well as it is.
“It is great to get Darren back,” Moyes said.
“It was the first time he pulled on a jersey in a competitive reserve league game (since the operation) and we’re really pleased.

“We will bring him along, his training is coming along well, but we don’t want to do anything that might give him a setback.

“It is a sort of steady, slow grind for him just now.
“But we are pleased and hope to involve him in the upcoming reserve games in the weeks to come, if he continues to do as well as he is doing now.”

Fletcher’s return is a real boost to the squad. He won’t ever be that terrier like player who used to bite at the heels of the opposition whenever they were in possession but he can offer a real alternative to Michael Carrick that would allow him to rest over the course of the season and stay fresh.

He played in that deep lying midfielder role well last year before being ruled out through surgery and even if it is only a few games that he plays, simply to see Fletcher back playing football is really heartwarming.

His career looked done and dusted because of his surgery but typical of his character, he fought on to make a second return. On a personal level, it must mean a lot for him to be able to play football once again and from United’s point of view, it’s great to have him back.