Darren Fletcher has confessed that Manchester United are already playing catch-up with rivals Chelsea.

The Red Devils' failure to start their league campaign with a win against Newcastle United has been compounded by injuries to key such as Ryan Giggs and Fraizer Campbell

The duo's latest addition to the treatment table has seen United's injury front accumulate, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Owen Hargreaves, Louis Saha, Park Ji-Sung and Ben Foster all sidelined as well ahead of their trip to South Coast outfit Portsmouth next Monday.

With their home match against Fulham postponed because of the European Super Cup before United then facing consecutive away games at Liverpool and Chelsea - United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is not only ­lamenting a lengthy absentee list but also a fixture list he feels has "handicapped" his team's bid to make a strong defence of their league title.

Fletcher, who made amends for his horror miss in the Community Shield at Wembley by scoring United's equaliser on Sunday, after Obafemi Martins had headed Newcastle ahead, said: "It wasn't the start we wanted. To draw the first game is disappointing, particularly as we ­created enough chances to have won the match.

"We're two points behind, we've given them [Chelsea] a headstart and we're already playing catch-up.

"But we've been here before. We drew the opening two games last ­season, lost the third but still won the title so, hopefully, the same thing will happen again.

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