Darren Fletcher has spoken of his abiding affection for Scotland as he recovers from a knee injury.The Manchester United midfielder suffered the setback in the draw against Croatia in a friendly at Hampden Park last month.

Sir Alex Ferguson was incensed that Fletcher was hurt late on in what was George Burley's first match in charge and branded friendlies as a waste of time.

The Old Trafford boss also took issue with Burley about the amount of game time his player had.

Fletcher, who is halfway through an expected six-week lay-off, admits he wants the best of both worlds.

He said: "The manager knows how passionate I am about Scotland and how desperate I am to play for them.

"He wants what is best for Manchester United - and doesn't want his players getting injured.

"George Burley wanted to make an impression as it was his first game in charge.

"But there had been a few call-offs and then midfielders Scott Brown and Steven Fletcher were injured in the game, so there were not many options in the middle of the park.

"Injuries are part and parcel of the game and I am a believer things happen for a reason.

"Hopefully, I will come back stronger as I want to help Manchester United and Scotland achieve success.

"It is like when you are a kid, you just want to play football.

"There is nothing better than going out there and pitting your wits against other teams.

"It is a challenge and I want to do it anytime I can."

Recalling the moment he got hurt, Fletcher recalled: "It was bad tackle.

"The Croatia player just cleaned me out. That was the most disappointing thing."

Fletcher remains guarded about returning for United's last Barclays Premier League game of the season against Wigan or possibly the Champions League final, which could be an all-English showdown with either Chelsea or Liverpool.

But Fletcher said: "If I have not played for six weeks, I am not sure I could play in the Champions League final if United got through.

"I am doing all right at the moment and working with the physios. My knee is going to be sore for the rest of the season but I just want to get to a level when the pain is bearable.

"Although I'm desperate to get back, I need to wait until the situation is manageable."

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