Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher reveals daily battle against illness But I am back quicker than I expected. It has been a lot quicker, but that maybe comes down to experience. Maybe you don't have the sharpness in your legs yet, but it is in your mind, where you can react quicker because you have been in the situations before. I think my legs are coming back. If you had said I would be in this position back in June and July, I wouldn't have believed you, but as I am here now I think it is going well. Fletcher admits that Ferguson's caution forced him to delay his return to senior action until the Old Trafford clash against Galatasaray seven weeks ago. "I was impatient but the manager told me I had to be patient," Fletcher said. When you have been out for a long time you are desperate to play so maybe you do push yourself, but I had good people around me like the sports science staff, the manager and the reserve manager Warren Joyce. They were there with the reins on me, holding me back. Deep down, I always knew they were right but it is hard to accept because you are desperate to get back as quickly as possible. I feel great, but when you have been out for a long time it is going to take time before you are 100 per cent. Ferguson, meanwhile, admits he will rest players against Braga with United needing just one point from three remaining group games to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages. He said: "It will give me a chance to utilise my squad, so I'll be making some changes for Wednesday. It (qualification) would give me options in terms of utilising Chris Smalling and Phil Jones to make sure that Rio Ferdinand's fresh for all these games and I don't have to worry about playing him Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday. That's an important issue. Smalling's training fine, he's been training for over a week now. I think he maybe ready not this week but next because we want to make sure he's back and stays back. United, meanwhile, are to unveil a statue of Ferguson at Old Trafford on Nov 23. The statue, by renowned sculptor Philip Jackson, will be situated at the entrance to the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.