Darren Fletcher will is expected to meet up
with the Scotland squad having
returned to training and completing 45 minutes in a practice match last week.
The Scotland captain's career was in the air when Manchester United
manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed last month that the 28-year-old was
yet to return to
training following a long-standing chronic bowel complaint.
But Scotland manager Craig Levein confirmed on Monday
after naming his squad for the friendly match against Australia that
Fletcher is now on his way back to playing competitive football
for the first time since a Champions League tie against Benfica at Old
Trafford in November last year.
"Darren will be with us at the weekend, he is back in training
and he played 45 minutes in a practice match last week'the coach said.
"He is not in the squad because he has not played for Manchester
United but he will come back
doing a bit of training with us."
Fletcher managed only 10 appearances for United last season as they
were pipped to the Premier League title on goal difference by
Manchester City.
The mystery virus first took hold towards the back end of the previous
campaign and Ferguson confirmed in July that he was unsure if his
compatriot would
ever play again.
He last featured for Scotland in a 3-1 European Championship
qualifying defeat to Spain in October but news revealed that
if Fletcher can keep progressing he could return for the national
side sooner.
"I don't want to go into the medical side of things but I'm
just delighted to say that he is going to do some training with
us the coach hinted.
"We will see how he gets on between now and September
and I think you'll guess that if he
is fit he will regain his position in the team.
He has now amassed 58 caps for his country and was named permanent
captain in 2009 by
then manager of the scotland senior team George Burley.
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