Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has expressed his desire to feature for the club on a more regular basis.

The Scottish international was considered a key member of the United squad before he was diagnosed with a chronic bowel condition last year.

He has now returned to the fold but has only been used in the Capital One Cup and the Champions League by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Despite acknowledging that he needs to show some patience, the 28-year-old is hoping that he will eventually be given the chance to prove himself again.

"I know the manager has got such a big squad now, especially in the midfield area, and there is a lot of competition for places," Fletcher told MUTV. "I have to be patient and wait for my chances but, hopefully, one will come around sooner rather than later.

"I think my general fitness is fine, it's just match fitness - the sharpness, reaction times, things in your head and things like that. The positional sense, when you're a little bit older, comes back to you fairly quickly.

"To get as many 90 minutes as possible is great just now. After not playing for a long time, it's important to get games back into your legs. Fortunately, I've had quite a few games for the reserves as well."

Fletcher has spent his entire professional career at Old Trafford.