DARREN FLETCHER HAS been included in Manchester United’s 25-man squad for their upcoming Champions League campaign.

The Scotland captain was forced to take an indefinite break from the games last season, as he was suffering from a chronic bowel condition.

However, the 28-year-old has shown signs of recovery recently.

He took part in a pre-season friendly against Aberdeen and also appeared in an under-21 side against Tottenham last week.

United manager Alex Ferguson said that Fletcher’s place in the squad does not come at the expense of anyone else.

“Darren’s put a lot of weight back on,” Ferguson said. “He’s back to his normal weight from two or three years ago. It’s a case of wait and see.

“Darren comes into the 25-man squad quite easily, without me having to leave others out,” Ferguson explained.

“We have a number of players who we don’t need to register because of the time they’ve spent with us as an academy player. That’s an advantage.”

Squad:

Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Anders Lindegaard.

Defenders: Rafael, Patrice Evra, Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic, Alexander Büttner.

Midfielders: Antonio Valencia, Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Nani, Ashley Young, Paul Scholes, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher, Nick Powell.

Forwards: Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck, Robin van Persie, Shinji Kagawa

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