In a week that saw him ruled out for 10 weeks with a knee injury, Manchester United's Paul Scholes received some good news today when he was awarded a contract extension.

Scholes, who is 34 next month, was due to be out of contract this summer but Sir Alex Ferguson said the midfielder still has plenty to offer the club and has offered him another year on his current deal.

"I am very confident Paul will be back [from injury]," said the Manchester United manager today. "He can play for at least another year. I have no fears about that. He has the same characteristics as Gary Neville, who has just come back after 18 months out."

United have also agreed a new contract with Darren Fletcher, which will keep the Scotland midfielder at Old Trafford until June 2012. "When you play at such a great club with a great team you always want to be a part of that. The spirit here is amazing and I am happy that I can play my part in achieving more success."

Fletcher had been linked with a move to Birmingham City last season, where he would have teamed up with his former international manager, Alex McLeish.