DARREN FLETCHER is out of the Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy later this month.

The Man United midfielder was already banned from the tie with Georgia at Hampden on the 24th, but an ankle problem now puts him out of Bari four days later.

Fletch was injured in the FA Cup victory at Reading last week, and there are fears he could be out for the season.

"Darren has damaged his ankle ligaments," said Sir Alex Ferguson. "He had a lot of swelling and we had to wait for it to go down before we could do the scan.

"Unfortunately, the news was not good, which is a bad blow for the lad, because it is a crucial time of the season for him and us."

Alex McLeish is already missing James McFadden for both games with a broken foot and Steven Pressley is suspended for the double-header. Gretna say boss Rowan Alexander is on sick leave for an unspecified illness and deny he has been axed. Norwegian police are investigating alleged forgery in the transfer of Nigerian 19-year-old Mikel Jon Obi to Chelsea from Lyn Oslo in June 2006. QPR have admitted FA charges relating to the brawl between their players and the Chinese under-23 team during a friendly on February 7. Calls for legendary former Liverpool boss Bob Paisley to get a posthumous knighthood has won the backing of Merseyside MPs. Stories in today's English papers: Sheffield Utd £7m summer move for Man United outcast Alan Smith. Arsenal offer Jonathan Woodgate £80,000-a-week. Race row plunges West Ham into further chaos. Freddie Ljungberg wants to end career at Arsenal. Belarus FA claim Roman Abramovich pays £1.4m salary of Russia boss Guus Hiddink. Average age of crowds in Premiership is 43, with 10% under 24.