Brown on comeback trail

Wes Brown has given Manchester United another fitness boost by coming through an hour of his comeback game against Preston at Deepdale.

Sidelined since November with a foot injury, the England international is keen to play some part in a hectic end to the season and manager Alex Ferguson will be delighted to learn of his contribution to a 4-0 Lancashire Senior Cup win.

While Wednesday’s Premier League clash with Portsmouth is likely to come much too soon for Brown given the length of time he has been out of action, Ferguson will waste no time in bringing him back into the first-team fold.

Meanwhile, Ferguson has confirmed Darren Fletcher will be fit when United resume their title challenge, having missed the last two games with a minor hamstring problem.