Source: Daily_Mail
EXCLUSIVE: Owen Hargreaves tells Capello: I won't make World Cup
An emotional Owen Hargreaves is resigned to missing this summer's World Cup. [LNB]With his Manchester United playing career in the balance, Hargreaves has spoken to the England boss Fabio Capello, who has decided there is very little, if any, chance of the player making the trip to South Africa in June. [LNB]There are growing fears that, at 29, the midfielder is losing his battle with tendinitis in his knees that has limited him to 25 starts for United in three years, costing the club nearly £1million each. [LNB] Out of action: Hargreaves has not played a competitive game in over 500 days[LNB]It is 18 months since he last played and, after more than a year ofrehab following operations on both legs, he has reverted from trainingwith the first team to daily workouts with the club's physios. [LNB]Last month Capello expressed the hope that Hargreaves, a candidateto fill England's troubled full-back positions as well as the holdingrole, would soon be back playing to confirm his fitness and take up aplace in the England squad. [LNB]Down and almost out: Owen Hargreaves [LNB][LNB]But recently the weekly bulletins from United's medical staff to theItalian have been less encouraging and Hargreaves, who was votedEngland player of the year after the last World Cup, has been left inan increasingly emotional state.[LNB] Although Sir Alex Ferguson has not given up hope on him making whatwould be a remarkable comeback, the next four days will merelyemphasise what he will miss if his career really is all over. [LNB]He is due at Wembley today, to watch his club-mates try to claim theCarling Cup, and will be staying just miles from the Grove Hotel, wherethe England players will gather to prepare for Wednesday's friendlyagainst Egypt. [LNB]With new captain Rio Ferdinand also struggling with a long-term backinjury that has restricted him to just 34 of the past 92 games for cluband country, plus doubts over the fitness of Ashley Cole and GlenJohnson, and the row between Wayne Bridge and John Terry, Hargreaves'news is the last thing Capello wanted to hear. [LNB]A broken leg and knee problems delayed his move to United after the2006 World Cup in Germany, but he crowned his first season inManchester by scoring a penalty in the shoot-out victory in the 2008Champions League final against Chelsea. [LNB]However, his knees soon began to fail again and he played only threemore games the following season, his last coming more than 500 daysago, in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.[LNB] Hargreaves has made just 25 league appearances since his £18m move in 2007[LNB] 'I probably shouldn't have played in that game,' said Hargreaves.'I struggled to drive my car for three days afterwards. Something wasvery wrong. [LNB]'The last year has been difficult. As an athlete you think you areinvincible. You don't think something of this magnitude will happen. Iobviously had the problem when I came to Manchester United from Germanyin 2007 and we tried to manage it. [LNB]'Part of the problem for me was my competitiveness. I was new toUnited and they had spent a lot of time, energy and money in getting mefrom Bayern Munich. [LNB]'I wanted to do well, obviously. I came with symptoms (oftendinitis) but everyone said, "Don't worry, it will go", so I alwaystried to be available. But playing on it made it worse. I wanted toplay, though, so I played through it.' [LNB]Recalling his doctor Richard Steadman's admission that he had neverseen such bad tendons in 35 years of surgery, Hargreaves added: 'It wasa dark day, hard to take because this was coming from a guy who was 72years old and had seen a lot of knees.' [LNB]Hargreaves returned to United last September and resumed trainingbut an intended comeback in November was put on ice. Even as recentlyas December, Capello held out hope for him. Fully aware of his valuableversatility, he said: 'He has to play.'[LNB] Fergie desperate to see injury-stricken Hargreaves back in a United shirtOwen Hargreaves withdrawn from United's Champions League squadOwen's Italian job - Ferguson wants Hargreaves back to face BeckhamMANCHESTER UNITED FC
