Fletcher ready for tough test

Midfielder determined to bounce back from dropped points

By James Dall   Last updated: 18th August 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Fletcher ready for tough test

Fletcher: Tricky fixtures await

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Darren Fletcher is confident Manchester United can bounce back from their early season stumble ahead of a tough sequence of fixtures.

The Premier League champions could only manage a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at Old Trafford in their opening game of the 2008/09 campaign on Sunday.

The Red Devils face Portsmouth at Fratton Park after the international break, before taking on Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Super Cup final.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson then must prepare his squad for away matches against Liverpool and Chelsea.

United stuttered during the early stages of last term, and were forced to wait until the fourth game of the season before securing their first league win.

Challenges

But Fletcher, who scored the leveller versus the Magpies, is hopeful his team-mates can respond to their setback this time around and record victories in their forthcoming encounters.

"It is a tough start," said Fletcher. "But we look forward to the big challenges and hopefully we will rise to them as we normally do.

"We have given everybody a head start and now we are playing catch-up. But we have been in this position before. It is only day one of a long season.

"It is another match under our belts fitness wise, most of us will have one more with the national teams this week and I am sure we will be raring to go by the time we get to Portsmouth."