Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has been forced to take an "extended break from football" due to concerns about his health, with the club revealing he has been suffering from chronic bowel problems.
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Darren Fletcher: Missed two months of last season
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Fletcher, 27, missed two months of last season with a then-unspecified virus - which United have now revealed was ulcerative colitis - and when he returned to first-team action had lost a significant amount of weight.
The Scotland captain was also absent for part of pre-season training as he continued his recovery and has started just seven games this season.
With the condition taking a major physical toll on him and his long-term health a priority, Fletcher has been advised to stop training and playing for a sustained period.
A statement from United read: "On behalf of Darren Fletcher, Manchester United wishes to announce that he is taking an extended break from football for health reasons.
"Over the past year he 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 (a chronic inflammatory bowel condition) for some time preceding this.
"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.
"We request that his privacy is respected and hope that the removal of the additional stress associated with speculation regarding his health will also aid his recovery."
GettyImages
Darren Fletcher: Missed two months of last season
• Carrick happy to chase Man City
• Blog: United moving on against Wolves
Fletcher, 27, missed two months of last season with a then-unspecified virus - which United have now revealed was ulcerative colitis - and when he returned to first-team action had lost a significant amount of weight.
The Scotland captain was also absent for part of pre-season training as he continued his recovery and has started just seven games this season.
With the condition taking a major physical toll on him and his long-term health a priority, Fletcher has been advised to stop training and playing for a sustained period.
A statement from United read: "On behalf of Darren Fletcher, Manchester United wishes to announce that he is taking an extended break from football for health reasons.
"Over the past year he 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 (a chronic inflammatory bowel condition) for some time preceding this.
"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.
"We request that his privacy is respected and hope that the removal of the additional stress associated with speculation regarding his health will also aid his recovery."
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