Fletcher beefed up for Blues

Star midfielder ready to test himself against league leaders

By Hayley Paterson   Last updated: 7th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Fletcher beefed up for Blues

Fletcher: Muscleman

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Darren Fletcher insists he can match any midfielder in the Premier League after improving his strength and bulking up for the Red Devils.

The Scotland captain has taken on extra gym work to make sure he is up to scratch this season for Manchester United's bid to retain the Premier League title.

And the 25-year-old expects his new-found stocky exterior to be tested in Sunday's crunch clash versus Chelsea - a match he is determined to feature in.

"Doing weights is a big thing for me now, whereas before it didn't seem to have much effect," he told The Sun.

"It's small percentages of improvement that help you become a better athlete and player.

Bulking up

"Fitness has never been a problem for me, but in terms of strength and power my gym work has made a real difference.

"Striking the right balance is important, too. There'd be no point in me bulking up if that was to the detriment of being able to get around the pitch.

"I wanted to get to a level where I had strength, but also the stamina to keep going over the 90 minutes. I think I could still put on more weight without affecting my fitness."

Fletcher came back from an ankle injury on Tuesday to feature in United's thrilling 3-3 draw against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League.

Despite battling through the pain barrier with the help of injections to his foot, the Scotsman is expected to be in Sir Alex Ferguson's squad for Sunday's encounter against the table-topping Blues.

Game plan

"There's a long way to go yet in the title race, but this game could be important psychologically," he told Inside United magazine.

"We know we're capable of going there and winning. It won't be easy, but we'll go there with a game plan and the manager will have a lot of options for the side he wants to pick.

"It'll be a great challenge at Stamford Bridge. They've got a great record there, but we are capable of going there and winning."

The star midfielder is set to have ankle surgery at the end of the season to remove a loose piece of bone.

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