Source: Team_Talk
Fletcher needs games - Levein
Scotland boss Craig Levein admits Darren Fletcher might not be back in his squad for the games against the Czech Republic and Lithuania. The midfielder has been excluded from Levein's squad for the friendly against Denmark, which takes place at Hampden next Wednesday, as he builds up his fitness following a mystery virus.Fletcher missed two months of last season's run-in for Manchester United, although he played 90 minutes against Blackpool on the final day of the Premier League campaign.The 27-year-old was left out of United's tour part for their pre-season trip to the United States in order to work on his fitness back at the club's training ground.Fletcher last week declared himself "fighting fit" but Levein feels the player needs games before throwing him into the Euro 2012 qualifiers at Hampden.Scotland host the Czechs on September 3 before Lithuania visit three days later, and Levein's men realistically need to win both matches to keep their play-off hopes alive before facing Liechtenstein and Spain away the following month.Levein said: "It's extremely difficult for me if he's not playing for his club to include him in the squad."I have spoken to Darren twice in the last two weeks just to make sure he's progressing."I'm in constant contact with him. I went down to meet him at the end of last season and had a long chat with him."I desperately want him back in the squad, more than anybody, but he has to have played some football."I can't just put him back in the squad because he's a good lad."I think it's important he is back on the field for Manchester United and back playing 90 minutes, and also gets his confidence back because he has been out for a long time."I hope to have him available for the October matches and if things go exceptionally well, then I'll have a look at it again for the September games."Wigan midfielder James McArthur was another casualty of Levein's eagerness to have his players fully match-fit."He was in the squad towards the end of last season and did very well, but he hasn't been playing for his club very regularly," Levein said."It starts to become difficult for me to put people in the squad if they haven't been getting regular matches."There are people in the squad who aren't playing as regularly as I would like."I need my players to playing on a regular basis."Some other guys might find they are not involved in the next squad if they are not playing football."New Rangers left-back Lee Wallace was excluded following an injury-hit campaign at Hearts, while James McFadden is unsurprisingly left out as he looks for a new club after being released by Birmingham and after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.Levein has called up Dundee United striker David Goodwillie, but the 22-year-old looks set to join Blackburn unless Rangers are successful with attempts to gazump Rovers, and he might find himself soon facing a battle for regular action.Levein said: "That's the difficulty of my job - trying to decide who can step in if needed and play for 90 minutes without having played regularly."There isn't an answer to that one. Some players respond differently to not playing every week than others."I have to look at it on an individual basis and make my judgement, whether I think someone is capable of being involved for 90 minutes."Some guys might only be needed for a short period of time."It's something I look at closely when I'm naming the squad."As well as Goodwillie, Levein recalled three players who have recovered from injury.West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans, Leeds winger Robert Snodgrass and Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton return while Chris Maguire, Russell Martin, Ross McCormack and McArthur drop out.