Final Score: Manchester United 1 Galatasaray 0

DARREN FLETCHER returned from his career-threatening bowel condition as Manchester United scrambled to an unconvincing Champions League win over Galatasaray at Old Trafford.

It was the Scot’s first appearance since November 22, although he had been battling against the problem for eight months before that.

Fletcher’s arrival for Paul Scholes 11 minutes from time brought a deserved standing ovation, and was one of the few high points of a difficult evening for the hosts, who collected the victory but little else of note.

Michael Carrick’s first Champions League goal in three years after just seven minutes proved enough, with United missing yet another penalty, their third of the season, through Nani.

Galatasaray were desperately unlucky, failing to get a clear penalty before United struck, hitting the woodwork twice before being denied by David de Gea’s excellent double save and then having another spot-kick claim waved away in stoppage time.

Both Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, on their United European debuts, were involved in Carrick’s opener.

Initially, Van Persie threaded a pass through to the midfielder.

It was Kagawa who got the main credit though, slipping a return pass beyond the visitors’ defence. Carrick stepped inside goalkeeper Fernando Musiera and even though the goalkeeper tripped him, the England man was able to steer the ball in.

Had Carrick fallen for the penalty, Musiera would have been sent off and Galatasaray’s position substantially weakened.

Mind you, the Turkish champions already had cause to grumble.

Sold short by Patrice Evra’s lay-off, Nemanja Vidic lunged in on Umut Bulut. Referee Wolfgang Stark might not have seen the clear foul. There was no excuse for the goal-line assistant missing it. Yet somehow Vidic, and United, escaped.

Galatasaray’s response to falling behind was for Nordin Amrabat to clip the crossbar with a curling shot from the edge of the area.

It was not the last time Galatasaray struck the woodwork – Hamit Altintop was the unlucky man second time around after a free-kick had been rolled into his path.

Largely, United’s build-up broke down before they got within shooting distance, then followed the third instalment of their penalty embarrassment.

After failures from Van Persie and Javier Hernandez already this season, Nani exuded confidence, but after a little shimmy, the Portugal winger seemed to freeze, and Musiera saved to his right.

Galatasaray took it as the cue to launch another counter and this time Selcuk Inan guided his header marginally wide of the far post.

And then De Gea came to United’s rescue with a superb double save, first to deny Burak Yilmaz, then Emre Colak, who seemed certain to finish off the rebound.