Fletcher put his own health at risk in order to help the United cause before finally admitting defeat on Tuesday. United have confirmed the 27-year-old will take a full break from the game in a bid to overcome the debilitating effects of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition. The Premier League champions are not making public any potential timescale for Fletcher's return. However, merely by making a comment, Scotland manager Craig Levein offered a clear indication Fletcher would be missing beyond the next set of internationals at the end of February. And, by linking Fletcher's absence to that of United skipper Nemanja Vidic, who ruptured cruciate ligaments in Basel last week and will miss the rest of the season, Rio Ferdinand was seemingly suggesting the midfielder could be out for a similar spell. Ferdinand wrote on Twitter: "We are going to miss 2 big players in Fletcher + Vidic, I hope they both come back fitter + stronger than ever." It would hardly be a surprise for Fletcher to be absent for the final five months of the campaign now the extent of problems that have been obvious since March have been revealed. A statement regarding Fletcher, issued by United this afternoon, said: "Whilst he was able to maintain remission of symptoms for a considerable period this has proved more difficult recently and Darren's continued desire to play and his loyalty to both his club and country has probably compromised the chances of optimising his own health and fitness. "He has therefore accepted medical advice to take an extended break from the demands of training and playing in order to afford the best chance possible of achieving full remission once again." When Fletcher's initial absence was claimed to be a virus, few questioned it. Only when the Scot took two months to make a comeback, and then appeared painfully thin during a substitute appearance in the Champions League semi-final against Schalke, were doubts raised. Even then, Sir Alex Ferguson spoke optimistically of Fletcher being involved in the final, however he was an unused substitute that night as Barcelona beat United at Wembley. In fact, while Fletcher did complete the full 90 minutes of United's final Premier League game against Blackpool, he was still struggling and remained in Manchester when the rest of his team-mates headed off on their five-match tour of the United States in July. It was not until September that he returned to action properly, since when there have been repeated reassurances that his fitness was fine. The most recent was three weeks ago, when Fletcher said he was "back to the level I should be at". Yet, just seven days after that, Ferguson, probably accidentally, gave an indication that something more serious was at the root of the midfielder's health issues. "Darren Fletcher, given the right preparation, is always a very good player for us," said the United boss, prior to the Premier League encounter with Newcastle. And now we know the problem he has been battling with. United's statement added: "Over the past year, he (Fletcher) has had several absence periods which we have attributed to a viral illness in order to respect his right to medical confidentiality. "Darren has, in fact, been suffering from ulcerative colitis for some time preceding this." Since completing the full 90 minutes against Benfica on November 22, Fletcher has been on the bench for a Premier League trip to Swansea and last week's encounter with Basel in Switzerland, when United went crashing out of the Champions League. It seemed a strange move given Ferguson, with Anderson and Tom Cleverley also out injured and Michael Carrick suspended, was forced to pair veteran Ryan Giggs with teenager Phil Jones in the centre of midfield. Fletcher's absence from Saturday's win over Wolves fuelled suspicion even more. Scotland manager Levein faces having to cope without his captain, and said: "I am obviously absolutely devastated for Darren because I know how hard he has worked to get back to playing regularly for his club and country. "He is one of the most inspirational players I have had the pleasure of working with. "Darren has shown tremendous dedication and fortitude, demonstrated by his ability to overcome this illness and perform at the highest level for Manchester United and Scotland. "I spoke with Sir Alex Ferguson and Darren this week and the most important thing at this stage is for the player to be given time to rest and recuperate. "He is a central part of our plans for the World Cup 2014 qualifiers but at this stage his health is paramount." A thoroughly likeable individual, there will be few who do not share Ferdinand's hopes that Fletcher makes a full recovery. Other athletes, including Sir Steve Redgrave, have maintained top level sporting careers while suffering the same problem. However, a full recovery is by no means guaranteed. Aside from genuine concern for his fellow countryman from Ferguson, it merely exacerbates an already acute shortage of bodies in United's midfield ahead of the packed festive programme. It is anticipated Cleverley will return during the Christmas campaign. However, Tuesday's news may force United to revise their previously stated intention of not adding to their squad in January unless Ferguson intends offering Paul Pogba and Darron Gibson a far more prominent role than had originally been envisaged. Cleverley hopes United can show they have sufficient quality in their ranks to cover for the loss of Fletcher. "I'm afraid it's bad news for him and bad news for the team," Cleverly said on Sky Sports News. "He's a massive player for us and it's a shame because we're having a bit of a problem in centre midfield but we've got Giggsy (Ryan Giggs), Ji (Park Ji-sung), Carras (Michael Carrick), Phil Jones doing a job, and Darron Gibson still in the squad, so that's what squads are for. "He's a fantastic pro, Fletch. He's someone I've always looked up to."
