Uefa confirm Darren Fletcher will miss Champions League final

Published: 11 May 2009 - 16:57:33

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Uefa confirm Darren Fletcher will miss Champions League final

Uefa's disciplinary committee rejected both clubs' appeals Monday to let the suspended players compete in the May 27 final in Rome. Fletcher was sent off after tackling Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in last Tuesday's semi-final second leg. Fletcher connected with the ball first but his momentum brought down the Spaniard. Abidal was ejected when Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka went down after a challenge last Wednesday, though TV replays suggested there was no contact. Alves received a yellow card that activated a ban because of past infractions. Uefa general secretary David Taylor earlier this morning ruled out the possibility of a deal between the two teams, saying: "You set up competition rules at the start of the season and that's what you stick by. This [a deal] would mean every red card would be subject to scrutiny." Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had not been confident his player would be available saying: "We have to do it for Darren and sometimes in these situations, you never know. The referee made an honest decision." Before news of the decision was released Fletcher insisted he would remain focused on winning a third consecutive Premier League title: "We just have to wait and see what happens. Right now I'm focused on helping United win the league."