Hargreaves future in doubt

Owen Hargreaves looks to have played his last game for Manchester United.

Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted on Friday that the 30-year-old will not be fit enough to play any part in this season’s run-in.

The England international midfielder’s contract expires on June 30 and, while recent speculation suggested that he may be offered a one-year extension, the news of his latest setback might put paid to those chances.

When Ferguson was asked if Hargreaves would play again this season, he replied: “I don’t see it all.”

“It is a shoulder injury. It has just brought his season to an end.”

“He has just carried bad luck all the time he has been here. I am pretty sure he won’t be playing this season.”

Hargreaves cost a reported 17 million pounds when he joined the Old Trafford outfit from Bayern Munich in July 2007, but despite playing a big part in United’s Premier League and Champions League double the following season, he has managed just 39 appearances since the big-money transfer.

“His contract is up at the end of the season but I don’t know what is going to happen,” said Ferguson.

“David Gill had a discussion with the boy last week. But no more than that. We have to make a decision.”

Ferguson, meanwhile, has dismissed suggestions that city rivals and FA Cup semi-final opponents Manchester City are lacking in the kind of experience that United possess in abundance.

“They have plenty of experience in their team, they’re not carrying any young players really, maybe Adam Johnson is probably the youngest but they have a lot of experience in their team,” he said.

“Playing at Wembley, you have to play well to win. It’s very seldom a team plays badly and wins, you have to play well so hopefully we can do that.”

“We’ve got a strong squad now, I think that our bench the other night reflected that and we’re going into this game in good confidence.”

Other than Hargreaves and the suspended Wayne Rooney, United are only without Darren Fletcher, who is out with a virus, while Anderson may be in contention after scoring two for the reserves on his return from a knee injury.