Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson branded international friendlies at this stage of the season futile on Friday after losing midfielder Darren Fletcher to an injury sustained on Scotland duty. Fletcher damaged knee ligaments toward the end of Scotland's 1-1 draw against Croatia on Wednesday and will be out of action for six weeks, which could end his involvement in United's Premier League title bid. “It was a bad blow with Darren Fletcher, which to me just emphasizes the futility of playing these friendly games. It's crazy. We have lost him for six weeks now,” Ferguson told reporters. A long-standing opponent of international friendly fixtures, Ferguson added: “He went up there recovering from a bad chest cold and missed our game last Sunday because of that. “He turns out and plays for his country and should have only played for 45-60 minutes at the most but played the full game and got injured in the last minute. “It's crazy and supporters will stop going to these kind of games anyway, paying all that money and traveling. I think every manager knows, deep down, that they are a waste of time.” The rest of United's international contingent reported back fit and Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo are expected to be available to play against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday after missing Portugal's midweek friendly. United holds a five-point lead over second-placed Chelsea and Ferguson wants his team to maintain the standards it showed in beating Liverpool 3-0 last weekend, pointing to the return to form of Paul Scholes as potentially key to its title hopes. “We have to use that as a barometer for the rest of the season. Last Sunday was a great sign for me in terms of the confidence of the team and the composure they showed in their game, which I thought was top class,” said Ferguson. “Most rewarding for me was the form of Paul Scholes. After three-and-a-half months out he was taking his time to get back to the real Paul Scholes' form but last Sunday he was head and shoulders above every player on the pitch and absolutely magnificent. That gives us great confidence.” He added that there were some big games coming up but that he had confidence in the players. “They are proven in the big ones time and again now. There is a great enthusiasm about the team so hopefully we can keep the momentum going and enjoy the challenge,” he said. Striker Louis Saha is again absent for United with a hamstring injury that will keep him out for up to three weeks. Everton's Australian striker Tim Cahill, meanwhile, is also out for the rest of the season with a broken foot, the Premier league club said on Friday. Cahill was injured during last weekend's league match at home to West Ham United, the club said on its website. __
