Injury-prone Hargreaves out for five weeks

Manchester United’s Owen Hargreaves is set to be sidelined for five weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered against Wolves last weekend, Sir Alex Ferguson said Tuesday.

The United manager also ruled veteran Ryan Giggs out of Wednesday’s Manchester derby.

England midfielder Hargreaves, making his first senior United start since September 2008, lasted just five minutes before indicating he was injured and was replaced by Bebe.

Ferguson now expects the 29-year-old Hargreaves to be unavailable until the middle of next month, although the former Bayern Munich favourite could feature in the busy Christmas programme.

“We were at the stage where we knew Owen’s knee was okay,” Ferguson told Key 103 radio station.

“His training performances for eight or nine days previously had been terrific. He had done really well, which is why we took the chance.

“But maybe the tension in the build-up for the lad was too much and he suffered because of it.”

Meanwhile Welsh ace Giggs – whose hamstring injury has ruled him out of all but one of United’s last nine games – will also miss the derby match away to Manchester City at Eastlands on Wednesday.

“Ryan is out,” said Ferguson and the Scottish boss was scarcely any more positive about the prospect of Nani playing against City following the groin injury the Portugal winger suffered in last week’s Champions League victory over Bursaspor.

“Nani is doubtful,” said Ferguson. At this stage it doesn’t look as if he will make it.

“It is not a great position for us to be in,” he added. “We are counting heads at the moment.”