Darren Fletcher has spoken of his desire to stay at Manchester United for a long time. Fletcher, 26, with 10 years and 255 senior appearances under his belt at the club, dreads the day when his time at Old Trafford is over and he would love nothing better, it seems, than to emulate veteran trio Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville in prolonging his United career.

"You look at it as a step down if you leave," said Fletcher. "If you are lucky enough to stay, you will have played at the top for your whole career and it does not get much bigger than Manchester United."

He added: "Players who left say, 'think twice before you leave, because there is nowhere like Manchester United. Everything about the club makes it the place you want to be. No-one really thinks about leaving when you are here."

Darren Fletcher has particular admiration for Scholes, the veteran indicating he may be prepared to play on beyond next season. The pair are part of the 22-man United squad currently in Chicago at a training camp ahead of their five-match summer tour.

Darren Fletcher has urged his team-mates to help Wayne Rooney by sharing some of his goal scoring burden.

Rooney scored 43 goals in all competitions as United were pipped to the title by Chelsea, but Darren Fletcher says it would be wrong to expect the England striker to repeat that feat – particularly after a torrid World Cup campaign.

"There was a lot of pressure on Wayne to score all the goals last season and he took that burden on," Fletcher said, at a question and answer session with pupils at Irlam Primary School near Manchester.

"But sometimes that does not happen. All strikers go though phases when they do not score goals and that is when it is important that everyone steps up and does their bit.

"As a team we have to improve every season. I think we saw that Nani and [Luis Antonio] Valencia improved last year, and they are young, so they will get better. But even [Paul] Scholes and [Ryan] Giggs are trying to improve, and so am I, and so are the rest of the team."

Fletcher, the Scotland captain, said United will have to improve after a "transition season".

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Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher believes that the sheer amount of injuries suffered at Old Trafford this season, especially by defenders, has scuppered the Red Devils' bid for a fourth Premier League title.

Fletcher feels there can be little doubt as to what has prevented Sir Alex Ferguson's men collecting another league crown this campaign, with Patrice Evra at one stage being the club's only fit first team defender.

"Without those defensive injuries it could have been very different," the Scotland international told MUTV.

"At one stage we had one fit defender in the squad. No team has been able to cope with that. "We had three or four games in that position and ultimately it has cost us.

"If you are going to win the title in England you need a settled defence."

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Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher believes Chelsea are beginning to feel the strain as the race for the Barclays Premier League title reaches a climax.

With only three games remaining United are point adrift following the late, late derby victory against Manchester City. United will go back to the top on Saturday should they beat a Spurs side aiming to claim a Champions League slot. Chelsea are not in action until the following day against Stoke.

"They are the team leading the league and all the pressure is on them. We are just taking care of ourselves," said Fletcher. They were in a situation where they might have felt they could have pulled away and be in a real strong position but they are not.

"We never thought it had gone but is was a disappointing time after the Blackburn game. It was an uphill struggle but it just shows you in one weekend things can change."

Paul Scholes' stoppage-time winner in the derby not only gave United bragging rights but more importantly revived their bid for a record fourth successive crown. Fletcher said: "Winning that game gave Tottenham something to play for and they did us a favour.

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Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher believes that his ability to produce good performances in the big games is down to his psychological strength.

The Scottish international enjoys the pressure of performing on the big occasion and thinks that at the top level much of the game is played in the head. "I'm of the opinion that, in the big games especially, sometimes it's more psychological than about actual ability. I'm a great believer in that," he said, according to the Manchester Evening News.

"A big percentage of the game is played in your head and how you deal with the big occasions. I just relish that challenge".

The next big occasion Fletcher will face with United is Sunday's League Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley. His drive and dynamism in the heart of the Red Devils midfield could prove vital against a side like Martin O'Neill's men.

"We lost against Villa in the league at Old Trafford and drew at their place this month so we know they are a very tough team," he added. "They are a proper British-style team, they are in your face, they close you down and they work ever so hard. They have so much pace and quality on the counter-attack that it's something we'll have to be wary of."

Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Ji-sung Park and Darren Fletcher will all miss United's Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow.

The five players - many of them probable starters in Sir Alex Ferguson's strongest line-up - were absent from the squad flying out of Manchester on Monday afternoon. The sports betting markets have placed United as slim favourites in the match.

Sir Alex referred to Giggs, Rooney and Evra's possible absences on Saturday, when he spoke to MUTV following the Reds' 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers.

"Ryan Giggs has got a knock and is a doubt," Sir Alex said. "We've got to try and get Wayne Rooney ready for Wednesday but we'll see him on Sunday (against Liverpool). We'll have to look at Patrice Evra, he may be a doubt."

Like Rooney, Fletcher missed the Bolton match after picking up an injury while on international duty. Meanwhile Korean sources report that Park is being rested as a precaution due to a water on the knee problem. The club has not confirmed this but Sir Alex may clarify matters in his pre-match press conference in Moscow (Tuesday, 17:30 UK).

Other possible absentees mentioned by the boss on Saturday were Dimitar Berbatov - "I think he will be all right" - and Nemanja Vidic - "I'm hopeful Vidic will be all right, but he'll certainly be ready for the Liverpool game." Both have flown to Russia.

The full United squad to face CSKA Moscow on 21 October is as follows: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster; Neville, Rafael, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, J Evans, C Evans, Fabio; Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Nani; Owen, Berbatov, Macheda, Welbeck.

There is an element of speculation over which position Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will bolster first this summer. With Owen Hargreaves' long-term injury jeopardising his career, the Scot could recruit in central midfield, but Darren Fletcher is hoping that his ball-winning and hard-running performances this season have convinced his boss that he is the man for a starring role.

Fletcher has been a pivotal player for United this season. Often the unsung hero, he has enjoyed a turnaround in acclaim as his absence from the Champions League final was telling. Fletcher's positional sense, and ability to stifle danger swiftly and efficiently, before moving the ball forward have been sterling this campaign, but the player credits his self-improvement to his continued appearances in Ferguson's first-team.

"I've always believed in my ability," he told The Manchester Evening News. "It is difficult when you are a young player coming through at Manchester United. You are surrounded by top midfielders - Roy Keane, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.

"When my chances came it was in the wide right area and that wasn't a natural position for me. But this season I've had a long run in central midfield and my game has improved because of that.

"I am a central midfielder and that's where I want to be, I enjoy playing there and it brings out the best in me."

Fletcher continued, "With a run of games your performances improve and it is as simple as that. Sometimes you can go, in previous seasons, six weeks, eight weeks and then have to come in and perform. It is difficult.

"But when you get a run of games playing Saturday and Wednesday, your form improves, your touch is there and everything about your game is at it's top level because it has to be. Your performances improve."

Manchester United's second string could decide the Premier League's relegation battle when they face Hull City on the final day.

Hull dropped into the bottom three following Newcastle's win against Middlesbrough, and travel to Bolton on Saturday before hosting United next Sunday. And the Tigers could find themselves up against inexperienced players such as Federico Macheda and Darron Gibson instead of superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

A Hull victory at the KC Stadium could keep them in the top flight and cause uproar among the other relegation candidates.

The last game of the league season comes just three days before United play the Champions League final against Barcelona. Alex Ferguson's side could wrap up the Premier League title by this weekend if they claim four points in their matches against Wigan and Arsenal.

If they do, it is inconceivable that Ferguson will pick his strongest side to play Hull on May 24, as he will be eager to rest his stars ahead of the Rome showdown the following Wednesday.

The Scot has shown he is unafraid to choose a weakened team for big games, having selected a virtual reserve side for the FA Cup semi-final against Everton.

Lesser-known players such as Macheda, Gibson, Danny Welbeck and Fabio da Silva held the Toffees to a goalless draw over 120 minutes before going out on penalties.

There is no guarantee that a Hull side with two wins from their last 27 Premier League games would triumph, but Phil Brown would rather take his chances against the second-string.