It was announced late yesterday (Monday) by Sir Alex Ferguson that Wes Brown, Manchester United’s central defender, would be flying home as early as Wednesday from his South African tour following the death in hospital of his half sister Claire Fallows.

Claire had died earlier in the day. She had been pregnant for three months at the time and it is believed that she had a history of heart problems. She was thirty six years old.

This was a double blow for the twenty eight year old defender who had recently lost his father in February.

It is not certain as to whether Brown will play in tonight’s Vodacom Challenger match at the ABSA Stadium in Durban against Orlando Pirates.