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Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has taken another
step towards recovery from his knee surgery, returning to the Red
Devil's Carrington training ground to continue his
rehabilitation.
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The midfielder has suffered in recent years.
The England star has been plagued by a tendinitis problem that
preceeded his £18million move from Bayern Munich in the summer of
2007.
Although Hargreaves did manage to get through his first season
at Old Trafford, and play in the 2008 Champions League final
victory over Chelsea, the problem surfaced once more at the start
of last season and it was decided to send him for surgery.
Under the guidance of renowned Colorado knee specialist Dr
Richard Steadman, who counts Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alan Shearer
among the players he has helped recover from ruptured cruciate
ligaments, Hargreaves had operations on both knees.
The Calgary-born player has remained in the United States for an
extended period of rehabilitation ahead of his return to
Manchester. he has been accompanied by the physios who have been
working with him across the Atlantic, and they will now offer the
United medical staff guidance on the best way to manage his
recovery.
Sir Alex Ferguson is determined not to rush Hargreaves' return,
knowing the player could be a very influential figure if he does
eventually regain full fitness. However, he has been registered to
play in the group stages of the Champions League, withthe United
manager optimistic he will be fit to play a role by the end of
November.
"Hargreaves [has been included] because, having taken the
medical advice, we think he'll be available for the last three
Champions League group-stage games," said Ferguson when naming his
25-man Champions League squad. "He's a versatile player who can
perform in so many positions, so he could be a very important
player for us at that time of the season."