Scholes: I cannot comfort Fletch

Paul Scholes has admitted no words of sympathy from him could ever make Darren Fletcher feel better about missing the Champions League final.

Fletcher is set to be one of the few senior Manchester United men on duty at Hull on Sunday, knowing it will be his final appearance of a season that has one major day out to come.

"Darren has not spoken to me," he shrugged. "It is just something you have to live with. We are all devastated for the lad and devastated he is not going to be in the team."

While Sir Alex Ferguson chooses his team at the KC Stadium carefully, with hardly any of the men likely to face Barcelona in Rome next Wednesday night even making the trip, Fletcher knows he is condemned to sit in the stand at the Stadio Olimpico following the red card he received at Arsenal for what TV replays showed was a legal challenge on Cesc Fabregas.

Scholes knows exactly how the Scotland star feels of course.

After all, he was booked for a two-footed lunge on Didier Deschamps during the 1999 semi-final that ruled him out of that never-to-be-forgotten night in Barcelona.

And, despite their shared experiences, the veteran midfielder admits it is not even worth discussing the matter with Fletcher.

"The way he has played over the last few weeks has been amazing and more than anything, he will be a big loss for the team."

Ferguson will pay scant attention to the debate about the side he is going to pick on Sunday, which admittedly none of the clubs who could be affected have actually entered themselves.