EPL News: Ferguson Hopeful for Owen Hargreaves
Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson said that he felt that Owen Hargreaves’ latest setback in his recovery could be because of anxiety. The player has battled tendinitis in his knees for over two years and managed to successful start
the match against Wolves on Saturday.
However, just six minutes into the match and he limped off the pitch with a hamstring injury. This came as a great disappointment to the manager and fans alike. Hargreaves has been missing for the large part of this season and it was hoped
that he was back for good this time around.
Ferguson told reporters, “It is possibly because of a lack of match fitness. Maybe a bit of anxiety at playing his first game had a bit to do with it too. We had to take a check on the morning of the game. We pulled Ryan Giggs into the
squad but unfortunately he was just feeling his hamstring a little bit, so he was too big a risk.”
The United boss was somewhat disappointed with Hargreaves’ seemingly chronic injury, he added, “Paul Scholes was not fit enough to start because he wasn't feeling 100 per cent so we looked at the situation with Owen. He has been training
very well and the doctor thought he was fine to play. Unfortunately he only lasted a couple of minutes.”
Ferguson went on to say the 29 year olds fitness would be assessed in the next 48 hours, which would determine once and for all if the midfielders comeback was premature. His return was highly awaited but ended to be short lived; only
six minutes long to be exact.
The United manager was regretful of his decision to start Owen, he said, “I took a gamble with Hargreaves but he'd been training really well and I thought by picking him we'd have a compact midfield with experience. But it only lasted
a couple of minutes, it was a disaster.”
Mike Phelan, the Manchester United assistant manager, was hopeful though. The second in command said that he hoped the injury was just a minor setback in the player’s comeback from his long term injury.
He told reporters, “It was disappointing for Owen, it is just the way things are going for him at the moment. He has made himself available, he has worked extremely hard in the two years that he has been out and he has had his little blips
along the way.”
He added, “It didn't work out for him today. It was a risk and that's the way it goes in football. We will assess every situation in the next 48 hours and just see where he is at. But hopefully it is not what everybody might fear and we
will move on with the boy.”
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