LONDON - After months of putting his health at risk while playing with a chronic bowel disease, Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has been forced take an extended break from soccer to rest and recuperate. The 27-year-old Scotland captain, who did not play between March and September with what United previously called a "virus," has been suffering from ulcerative colitis -- an inflammatory bowel condition. Fletcher was on the bench last Wednesday when the Premier League champions lost at FC Basel in the Champions League and last played on Nov. 22 against Benfica, scoring in the 2-2 draw. "Whilst he was able to maintain remission of symptoms for a considerable period this has proved more difficult recently," United said Tuesday on its website. "Darrens continued desire to play and his loyalty to both his club and country has probably compromised the chances of optimizing his own health and fitness." United said Tuesday that Fletcher has ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal pain, blood loss, weight loss and fatigue. Theres no known cure for the disease. "He has ... accepted medical advice to take an extended break from the demands of training and playing in order to afford the best chance possible of achieving full remission once again," United said. "We request that his privacy is respected and hope that the removal of the additional stress associated with speculation regarding his health will also aid his recovery." Fletcher has played 10 times for United this season and made five appearances for Scotland. "I am obviously absolutely devastated for Darren because I know how hard he has worked to get back to playing regularly for his club and country," Scotland coach Craig Levein said. "He is one of the most inspirational players I have had the pleasure of working with and on behalf of his Scotland teammates and my backroom staff I sincerely hope this time off, allied to the support of his family, will enable him to make a full recovery. "He is a central part of our plans for the World Cup 2014 qualifiers but at this stage his health is paramount." While Fletcher has never appeared at a major tournament for Scotland, he has won four league titles, the Champions League, an FA Cup and two League Cups since making his debut for United in 2003. Fletcher signed a new four-year deal with United in March, keeping him at the club until 2015. Fletchers absence further limits Uniteds midfield options entering the second half of the season. Brazil international Anderson has been ruled out until February because of a knee injury and Tom Cleverley is not expected to be back before Christmas because of an ankle problem. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will instead be relying on Michael Carrick, Phil Jones and 38-year-old Ryan Giggs to take the central midfield slots. United will also be without captain Nemanja Vidic for the rest of the season after rupturing the cruciate ligament in his right knee in Wednesdays 2-1 loss at Basel. "We are going to miss 2 big players in Fletcher + Vidic, I hope they both come back fitter + stronger than ever," United defender Rio Ferdinand said on Twitter. "Believe." cheap jerseys from china . Lampards agent Steve Kutner has told British media that Chelsea has no intention of offering the veteran midfielder a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season. wholesale nfl jerseys . Seattle had already wrapped up a spot in the quarterfinals. Michel Brown scored late in the first half for Marathon, and David Estrada added a second-half goal for Seattle. The Sounders joined Mexican teams Monterrey and Santos Laguna with 4-0-0 records. http://www.authenticchinachea... . It had been thought that Richards would be sidelined for just six to eight weeks, but he revealed after the operation that he is likely to be out twice as long. "The positive thing is that the injury has been repaired so the knee will be as good as new," Richards told the clubs official website. [url=http://www.authenticchinacheapnfljerseys.com/]wholesale jerseys . -- The Oakland Raiders completed their off-season overhaul of the cornerback unit Monday by signing recently released Joselio Hanson and cutting 2011 third-round pick DeMarcus Van Dyke. cheap jerseys . Dmitrij Jaskin added an empty-net goal for the Czech Republic (1-1). Teuvo Teravainen had the lone goal for Finland (1-1). The win by the Czech Republic tightened up the standings in Pool A.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Evan Longorias flair for the dramatic on the final night of the season ended Baltimores bid to force a one-game tiebreaker for the AL East title. Instead, the Orioles were left to begin their first playoff appearance in 15 years on the road against two-time defending league champion Texas. Longoria homered three times and the Tampa Bay Rays shut down the Orioles 4-1 Wednesday night at Tropicana Field, where Longoria also ended last season with a bang. Baltimore began the day one game behind the New York Yankees in the division. The Orioles needed a win, plus a loss by the Yankees to Boston, to pull even. New York cruised to a 14-2 rout of the Red Sox and finished two games ahead of the Orioles, earning its 13th division crown in 17 years. The Yankees had a 10-game lead on July 18 but Baltimore caught up Sept. 4 and the teams were tied 10 times in September. "We knew it was a long shot, but we ran into some really good pitching," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Ive got to tip my hat to them, and what is really kind of amazing is that you look over there with what theyve been able to do this year, win 90 games, and that tells you what a fine line there is in all those extra-inning games and one-run losses, and we could be in the same position they are." The loss sent the Orioles to Texas, where theyll play the Rangers on Friday night, with the winner advancing to the best-of-five division series against the New York Yankees. "Were going to take it one game at a time. Obviously if you lose, youre done," said Orioles slugger Chris Davis, who had homered in six straight games. "Were going to try to do everything we can to beat Texas and get back home." Longoria finished the season in dramatic fashion for the second straight year, hitting solo shots off Chris Tillman in the first and fourth innings and adding another solo drive off Jake Arrieta in the sixth. With a chance to tie the major league record of four homers in a game, the three-time All-Star who missed 85 games this year with a strained left hamstring grounded out in the eighth. "It was cool," Longoria said. "Thats about as fun a night as you can have in a ballgame." Longorias second career three-homer game came a year after he hit two of them of the final night of last season, including a 12th-inning, game-ending shot that clinched a post-season berth. The area beyond a short wall in the left-field corner where the biggest homer in franchise history landed is now called 162 Landing. "I just think it highlights how well we play in games 162," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "It was a very dramatic game, the way it all unfolded. I just like the idea that we played the last game of the season with that kind of effort and intensity." Ryan Roberts also homered for the Rays in the fourth against Tillman (9-3). Jeremy Hellickson (10--11) allowed one hit -- Adam Jones fourth-inning single -- in 5 1-3 innings.dddddddddddd. Jake McGee, Wade Davis, Joel Peralta and Fernando Rodney teamed up to hold the Orioles to two hits -- J.J. Hardys double and Matt Wieters single, both in the ninth inning -- the rest of the way. Jones ruined Tampa Bays shot at a 16th shutout with a sacrifice fly off Peralta. After Wieters singled, Rodney was summoned to get the final out for his 48th save in 50 opportunities. Davis, who tied an Orioles record when he homered for the sixth straight game in a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Baltimore had five hits in the final two games of the regular season, but Jones is confident the offence will bounce back for the clubs first post-season game since 1997. "We aint got no choice. You dont hit, you go home," Jones said. "Its no ifs, buts or maybes. Both teams know that." Longoria has homered in five of his last seven plate appearances in the final game of the season. In four career Game 162s, he is 8 for 15 with six homers and nine RBIs. "Sometimes youve got to give credit where credit is due. He put some good swings on some pitches, but I should have been better," Tillman said. "I knew what I needed to do. I just didnt get it done." Longoria is 6 for 12 with three homers against Tillman, who lasted five innings and allowed three runs on four hits in his first loss since Kansas City beat him on Aug. 11. The right-hander who had gone 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA over his previous five starts also allowed three homers in that game, matching his career high. The Rays (90-72) won 12 of 14 down the stretch, remaining in contention for the second AL wild card until the 160th game and finished with at least 90 wins for the third straight season. Hellickson allowed three baserunners, two of them in the fourth inning when Jones singled to right-centre after Davis struck out on a wild pitch that allowed him to reach first. The 2011 AL Rookie of the Year walked Manny Machado leading off the sixth and was replaced by McGee after getting the next batter, Nate McLouth, to pop out. "The big tip of the cap goes to Joe Maddon and the Rays. They played 162," Jones said. "Their players went out every game to the last one and gave it all theyve got." NOTES: Jones played in every regular-season game this season. "Its a pretty cool thing," Showalter said. Jones is the first Baltimore player to accomplish the feat since Miguel Tejada in 2006. ... Orioles RHP Steve Johnson (sore left knee) said he felt great after throwing off a bullpen mound. ... Rays CF B.J. Upton, who can become a free agent this winter, singled in what might have been his last at-bat with Tampa Bay. The crowd of 17,909 gave him a standing ovation when he was removed for a pinch-runner in the eighth inning. ' ' '