Fletcher Hoping To Delay Ankle Op

Last updated : 05 November 2009 By Sam
The United and Scotland international midfielder, who returned to the side for the Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow this week after a month on the sidelines, is hopeful that painkilling injections will allow him to delay having surgery on the troublesome ankle injury.

"A bit of bone has broken off the back of my ankle and stuck out about an inch," he has said.

"Every time I bend it is causing a bit of pain so I have had an injection to clear it up for a while.

"It should be okay to the end of the season but the plan is to get me through to the summer and then do something then.

"I have had it for a couple of years now and the build-up of fluid and other medical things the doctors know more about than me has been constantly aggravating it," he said.

"Striking a ball or bending the ankle in a flexed position or pushing off it hurts. It got to the point where it was too sore to train and play. Something had to be done and I had the injection."