Ferguson: Hargreaves will be back
• Midfielder not played since September 2008 due to knee injury
• ‘He could make an impact on the league’ says United manager
Sir Alex Ferguson insists Owen Hargreaves will eventually return to action even though he has been forced to leave the £18m midfielder out of Manchester United’s Champions League squad.
Hargreaves has not played for United since September 2008, when he decided to undergo revolutionary knee surgery in the US to try to cure a chronic tendinitis problem that dates back to his time at Bayern Munich.
The 29-year-old eventually returned to United’s Carrington training base 12 months later after undergoing an extensive rehabilitation programme under the guidance of the world-renowned knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman.
At the time, it was thought Hargreaves would be back in action by November, but that deadline was missed and so have others Ferguson subsequently put in place.
Knowing there was no chance of Hargreaves being fit for the Champions League knockout round clash with Milan later this month, Ferguson opted to leave the player out of his 25-man squad, which had to be submitted to Uefa by the end of last month.
Yet Ferguson insists the bad news need not necessarily prove terminal and that Hargreaves could still play a major role this season.
“Owen’s recovery is slow,” Ferguson admitted. “It is a year and a half now and I can’t put a time on it. But he will be back. He could come back and make an impact on the league for us. Hopefully he does.
“There are more games in the league than there are in the European Cup and I don’t need to register him for the league.”
The 21-year-old defender Ritchie de Laet has taken Hargreaves’ place in United’s Champions League squad.
Benítez: Three games to decide our season
• Manager prepares for derby ahead of ‘crucial phase’
• Lucas may return in midfield in place of Aquilani
The Liverpool manager, Rafael Benítez, begins what he believes is a “crucial” period for his side with the 213th Merseyside derby at home to Everton tomorrow.
With a midweek visit to Arsenal and then a trip to Manchester City a fortnight on Sunday those results will go a long way to defining their season.
However, first up is the visit of Liverpool’s neighbours where a win would lift Benítez’s side into the top four, with current incumbents Tottenham kicking off in the evening.
“We talk about crucial times and this period is very important,” said Benítez. “I’ve spoken with the players and we have been analysing what we have [in terms of games] until the end of the season and this is the most crucial phase.
“We are close to the top four and we cannot make too many mistakes and we play against three teams that are around us. It is important to keep winning games to maintain the momentum and it would be fantastic to win all three but you have to start with the first one.
“We want to make sure we get back into the top four and this is the first opportunity to try and do that.”
The two teams are probably more equally matched than at any time this season with Liverpool unbeaten in six league games – having conceded just once – and Everton having not lost in nine.
In fact the Toffees’ last defeat came in the derby at Goodison Park at the end of November but history will be against them when they turn up tomorrow at a ground where they have not won for 11 years.
However, Benítez does not believe current form will have much of an impact. “Both Everton and us and are on a good run so both will come into the game with confidence,” he said. “But in the past sometimes we were not in a good moment and won and sometimes we were in a good moment and lost. A derby is a derby and is different to any other game so form is not the most important thing now.”
Merseyside derbies have been littered with numerous red cards over the years and Benítez is keen for his players to embrace the passion of the encounter but still keep their cool.
“You have to play with passion and your brain and that way you will be better and be able to control the game,” said the Liverpool manager, who has lost just two of his 11 Premier League derbies.
“It is important to keep calm and try to play good football. You want to win playing well because that is easier but a derby is more difficult.
“I try to influence the game beforehand but during the game it is difficult because the crowd don’t allow you to shout too much and the players cannot hear you.”
The match takes on greater significance for local lads Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard but Benítez said all his players were aware of the importance of the clash.
“The players have confidence and don’t want to lose any game but for a local player not to lose this game always is maybe more important,” said the Spaniard. “We know Gerrard and Carragher can be an inspiration for the other players because they have passion.
“But we have to be professionals and just think about getting three points and it doesn’t matter about the name of the opponents.”
History suggests the more defensively minded Lucas Leiva will be restored to the central midfield battleground at the expense of the playmaker Alberto Aquilani, but Benítez is confident his Italian summer signing can cope with the big occasion.
“Aquilani has played for Roma against Lazio so he has some experience of derbies,” said Benítez. “He has quality and can play if necessary.”
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4:35pm: In other non-Terry news, Martin Johnson has told Danny Cipriani he can forget about playing for England if he joins Melbourne Rebels. And Ian Bell has signed on for another two years of playing for Warwickshire in between England stints. TD
4.22pm: Fabio Capello had this to say after stripping John Terry of the England captaincy earlier today:
“After much thought, I have made the decision that it will be best for me to take the captaincy away from John Terry.
“As a captain with the team, John Terry has displayed extremely positive behaviour. However, I have to take into account other considerations and what is best for all of the England squad.
“What is best for all of the England team has inspired my choice. John Terry was notified first. When I chose John Terry as captain, I also selected a vice-captain and also named a third choice. There is no reason to change this decision.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the FA, particularly Lord David Triesman and Ian Watmore, for allowing me to make this decision in my own time and in the best interest of the team.”
PW
3.28pm: Attention Super Bowl fans: Paolo Bandini will be scribbling live from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual press conference in about half an hour. Join him for chat and more here. PW
3.26pm: Sky news is reporting that John Terry has been dropped as England captain. We’ll have more details for you very soon. PW
3.01pm: John Terry: Should he stay or should he go? And should we care? Guardian writers Barry Glendenning and Barney Ronay chew the cud. PW
2.48pm: Breaking news: Doomsday for John Terry? He has arrived at Wembley for a meeting with Fabio Capello. PW
2.10pm: Surprising stat of the day: Arsenal have not had a player sent off since Emmanuel Eboué was dismissed after 37 minutes against Tottenham on 8 February last year. It’s squad sheet time and the first one today is Chelsea v Arsenal. PW
1.08pm: As mentioned below the line, Riki Flutey has been ruled out of England’s Six Nations clash with Wales. Toby Flood comes in at centre as Flutey’s replacement. JA
12.54pm: After yesterday’s news that Owen Hargreaves has been omited from Manchester United’s Champions League squad for the rest of this season, Alex Ferguson has today said he believes the midfielder will play for the team again.
“Owen’s recovery is slow. It is a year and a half now and I can’t put a time on it. But he will be back. He could come back and make an impact on the league for us. Hopefully he does. There are more games in the league than there are in the European Cup and I don’t need to register him for the league.”
PW
12.21pm: Is it me or is this a slightly mean topic that Chris Cook has chosen for today’s Claims Five blog: The 100-1 winners you could have backed. PW
12.09pm: Today’s Joy of Six has landed – a combined effort from Scott Murray, Andy Bull and Barney Ronay – and this week the subject is neutrals’ favourites, the teams and sportsmen it is hard to dislike (although Sunderland and Norwich City fans may disagree). Enjoy PW
11.17am: Barry Ferguson has been having an impressive season at the heart of the Birmingham City midfield, but a return to the Scotland side is not imminent, according to Craig Levein. The manager has held “positive discussions” with Ferguson but says a decision on his comeback is on hold until the end of this season. PW
10.45am: Fancy winning an official club shirt of your choice? Then come up with a fiendishly difficult question for our You are the Ref series, which this week features Park Ji-sung, a tantrum, an injured goalkeeper in a shoot-out, and a scuffed back-pass dilemma. PW
10.32am: A quiet news day thus far, but here’s an interesting story from David Hopps on Mark Benson, with the referral system believed to have contributed to his retirement from elite umpiring. JA
10.22am: Anyone at a loose end tomorrow could do worse than head over to Field Mill where Mansfield are taking on Gateshead in the Blue Square Premier. The Stags are doing a Radiohead (not often you can make that analogy) and allowing fans to pay what they like for a ticket. A bold community-led initiative? Or misplaced faith in humanity? JA
10.02am: Speaking of fine moments from Small Talk, it’s well worth having a trawl through the archives for some classic moments, particularly Sir Roger “I don’t answer questions about biscuits” Bannister, Chris “I don’t drink poison” Eubank and, slightly oddly, TV’s James Richardson JA
9.50am: What we’re expecting today:
* We may get a decision over whether John Terry will keep the England captaincy, but if we do it will be late
* There are press conferences ahead of the weekend’s games
* Rugby League action: Wigan v Crusaders, Huddersfield v Bradford and Leeds v Castleford
* And Portsmouth fans are meeting Richard Scudamore today about the club’s future
9.44am: This piece from Cricinfo previews tomorrow’s first Test between India and South Africa nicely. Here’s a taster:
“India’s chances will hinge mainly on how well the two slow bowlers exploit the weaknesses that Graeme Swann found in the southern cape a couple of months ago. Harbhajan Singh is a certain starter, but there are two schools of thought on who will join him. Pragyan Ojha played the final two Tests against Sri Lanka, and the Dhaka game against Bangladesh, but when Sehwag led the side in Chittagong, it was Amit Mishra that got the nod.”
PW
9.37am: A fine moment from today’s Small Talk with Steve Bull:
If you were holding a dream dinner party whom would you invite? “If he was alive, Muhammad Ali [he is, but Small Talk graciously lets this one go]. And maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
PW
9.25am: It’s Friday, the day when the lucky ones of this world get to leave work at 4pm and spend most of the afternoon playing the greatest internet sports games ever, newly updated with a Six Nations game. PW
9.07am: Is Mohamed Zidan heading to Manchester United? Or Arsenal? Or Barcelona? Find out in today’s Rumour Mill, scribed by your very own Barry Glendenning. And, on a more cultural tip, here’s Peter Bradshaw’s (not particularly complimentary) review of Invictus. JA
8.45am: Good morning and welcome to our daily sports news blog. Throughout the day we will update this page with news, links, and what’s expected to happen in the hours ahead. Time permitting, we’ll try to wade in below the line, answering your questions and comments. JA
