BROWN TO DEFENCE

Manchester United defender Brown says close pal Ferdinand, whose form has been criticised this season, is to get the problem solved once and for all.

Brown said: “Rio has been getting a lot of pain in his back for a long time.

“If you are not fully fit and you try to play it’s very hard. Believe me, I know, especially because of how fast the league is now. If you carry on playing with that same injury week-in, week-out, it makes things harder. That’s what happens and Rio has decided to sort it out.”

Darren Fletcher has needed an injection to counter the aggravation caused by a piece of floating bone in his ankle and will need surgery next summer.

“The injection will hopefully see me through to the end of the season,” he said, “then I will have to get something done.”

United boss Alex Ferguson has urged referee Olegario Benquerenca to tell UEFA to scrub Fletcher’s caution for alleged diving in the Champions League clash against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday. But Gabriel Obertan could be in trouble for kicking in an incident highlighted by TV cameras.