Man Utd´s Hargreaves says may never be pain free

Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves admits he may never be free of pain during matches as a result of the knee injuries that have sidelined him for 18 months.

Hargreaves finally made his long-awaited comeback after major surgery on both knees in a United reserves match last week and he was due to follow up that 45-minute appearance with another run-out for the English champions’ second-string team at Accrington on Thursday.

But the 29-year-old is honest enough to concede that the severe nature of his injuries means he may not be completely pain-free for the rest of his career.

Renowned Colorado-based surgeon Dr Richard Steadman told the midfielder his knees were in a worse state than he had ever come across in 35 years of practising.

And, although Hargreaves has experienced a vast improvement in the problem, he still often feels discomfort.

“I wouldn’t say I am pain-free and I don’t know if I can play through it,” he said.

“My training has improved over the last weeks and that is a very positive sign for me. I believe that it will continue to improve and progress.

“But I am still in the process of getting some injections to try to manage the pain because if I didn’t have any I would have played at the beginning of the season.

“It’s about training, getting these injections and trying to go forward.”

The knee injuries first began to trouble Hargreaves towards the end of his time at Bayern Munich and he made just 25 appearances during his first season at United.

But the injury was getting worse and it wasn’t until he placed his trust in Steadman, who salvaged the careers of Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy amongst others, that Hargreaves realised how great the extent of the damage truly was.

Now he just hopes to play a part in United’s bid to win the Premier League and Champions League this season and is aware that his chances of making England’s World Cup squad for the finals in South Africa are slim.

“Tendons are something that a lot of people think they know about, but don’t really,” he said.

“My first season at United I had the pain and was able to play through it but basically I shouldn’t have been playing.

“In the end, the pain was just too high and I had to have surgery.

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. There were massive operations, very severe, and a lot of the treatments since have been slightly experimental. You have to try what works.

“It’s difficult to describe the pain. It’s just pain. At least the surgery did its job because before the operation my tendons obviously weren’t in the greatest condition.

“I would like to progress from this point even more. Hopefully I will be fit this season, and going forward I will be able to play another six, seven or eight years.”