WES Brown will fly home early from Manchester United's tour of South Africa following the death of his pregnant sister, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said.

Brown's half-sister, Claire Fallows, 36, died in hospital on Saturday.

She was around three months pregnant.

Sir Alex said that the England defender would return to the UK on Wednesday from the pre-season tour.

It is not known if Brown, 28, will play for Manchester United against Orlando Pirates in Durban tomorrow.

The death of his sister is a further blow after his father, Bancroft, died in February.