Darren Fletcher Steers Manchester United as Caretaker for FA Cup Clash

DARREN FLETCHER has confirmed he will take charge of Manchester United’s FA Cup third round tie against Brighton on Sunday.

Sun Sport revealed that United had planned for Fletcher to be the interim head coach for both of their games this week but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been lined up as the caretaker for the rest of the season.

Fletcher presided over a 2-2 drawCredit: Getty Wilcox and Berrada were at Turf MoorCredit: Getty

Solskjaer, who moved back to England in September, could secure an agreement with United by the end of the week but he is currently out of the country due to a personal matter.

Fletcher became the first United caretaker not to win his first match in charge after they were held to a 2-2 draw at 19th-placed Burnley.

United chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox were in attendance at Turf Moor and informed Fletcher he would see out the week as caretaker.

“They’ve informed me they’d like to to take the team for Sunday,” Fletcher said.

“There was a feeling that might have been the case from the from Monday, but we wanted to focus on Burnley.

“But yeah, I’m tasked with leading the team on Sunday, so all my focus and energy goes to that now.”

United dropped points from a winning position for the seventh time this season at Burnley and they have drawn seven and won two from their nine games against the Premier League’s current bottom seven.

The Burnley stalemate marked United’s third successive draw and they have won as many league games as they have drawn this term to leave them seventh in the table.

United had 30 shots at goal while Burnley scored twice despite having one attempt on target.

“I thought they put in a performance that should win the match,” Fletcher added.

“I think they created a lot of chances. I think they had 30 shots, goal line clearances, disallowed goal for not sure why for the (Lisandro) Martinez foul.

“So if you look at it in that context in terms of the shots and the domination that we had in the game, we should win the match so I’m pleased with that.

“There were lots of good things. It wasn’t perfect. I thought we started slow, thought we improved as the first half went on.

“And I actually challenged the players at half-time, I think they had more levels in them.

Sesko scored twiceCredit: PA

“And I think they produced that at the start of the second half and scored two fantastic goals.

“So still lots to work on but I was really pleased with our efforts and how they tried to implement what we’d asked from them with very limited time to prepare.”

Bruno Fernandes played an hour on his first appearance in 17 days after recovering from a hamstring strain but Burnley equalised within five minutes of his substitution.

Fletcher admitted he did not truly want to take off Fernandes, who assisted Benjamin Sesko’s 50th-minute equaliser and hit the post, but the change was pre-planned.

Fernandes returned from injuryCredit: Reuters

“It was planned before the game,” Fletcher added. “And we discussed it. Forty-five minutes was mentioned. And I think we had agreed that 60 was probably a push.

“I didn’t want to take off Bruno Fernandes in that game. But that was a plan from the club, from the medical staff, from the coaches.

“Bruno had an injury that we have to respect, and it’s a long season as well.

“So it’s disappointing, but that was a plan before the game, and we knew that was going to happen.”