Fabio Capello’s tenure as England head coach has run through nine months and five international friendlies. During that time he has visited numerous grounds up and down the country, scouting the talent at his disposal. On one Sunday he impressively managed to watch one lunch-time kick off, then make the afternoon game later that day.
This is the Italian technician’s first appointment as manager of a national side and he is beginning to realise the unwillingness of club’s releasing players recently back from injury. The latest club versus country row to erupt involves Owen Hargreaves who has just recovered from tendinitis.
Hargreaves was one of England’s few performers at the last World Cup, but since his move to Manchester United his career has been marred by knee problems. The 27-year old is back this week however, and is set to feature in the Red Devils’ European Super Cup clash with Uefa Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg, but is unlikely to play the 90 minutes.
“It would be impossible, in my opinion,” Ferguson is quoted by Sky Sports as saying. “I think it would be unlikely that Fabio Capello would risk him. Anybody could play against Andorra, but England have a very difficult match against Croatia and I think they have to have players who are 100 per cent for a game of that nature.”
“He [Hargreaves] is not ready for that,” Ferguson added.”I can’t see it. It is too important for Capello and for England.”
The double winning manager continued: “It is not a serious injury, but it is a frustrating one and very irritating for the player. Hargreaves has trained for the past 10 days and I’m giving him the go-ahead to get some time on the field. We feel he has had the right treatment and it is a matter of getting on with it, but I won’t be playing him for a full game.”
In light of these comments Fabio Capello is reported to be tempted to call up the midfielder so that he can assess the players fitness himself. The England manager may be questioning why the former Bayern man can play in a European fixture, but not in an international match two weeks later.
It is not the first time Sir Alex Ferguson has fielded a player only to withdraw him from the national set-up. In 2002 he played Paul Scholes against Middlesbrough, only to deny his service to Sven Goran Eriksson.
Fabio Capello will be without Steven Gerrard (hernia) and Michael Carrick (ankle) for the crucial World Cup qualifier openers against Andorra (Sept 6) and Croatia (Sept 10).
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