World Cup Agony for Hargreaves?

February 4, 2010

Owen Hargreaves has been omitted from Manchester United’s Champions League squad for the knockout stages, a move which casts a dark cloud over the tenacious midfielder’s chances of making Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad.

The omission from European action does not mean he won’t play again this season but, as with team mate Michael Owen, time is running out for Hargreaves to prove his fitness and gatecrash the party in South Africa. Capello will not gamble with fitness and Hargreaves will surely need to play at least ten games for his club to register on the steely Italian’s radar.

The worrying aspect is not the injury itself, which is said to be healed, more the mental fragility of the player following such a lengthy absence. The vibes coming out of Old Trafford are that Hargreaves is finding it difficult to commit fully to playing and is struggling with confidence. This is hampering a return to full fitness and the club are giving him all the time he needs.

The World Cup clock will stop ticking for nobody though and perhaps Hargreaves has already accepted his fate? At 29 he won’t get too many more chances on the biggest stage and it will be a real disappointment if Germany 06 was his pinnacle with England.

BruiseLee

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