Owen Hargreaves will likely miss out of Champions League action against Lisbon midweek. The 26 year old midfielder missed England’s double header with a thigh strain but has now also missed out on his clubs Premier League match against Everton.

Given uncertain form Hargreaves would have been a valuable addition to the squad. However, whether he will play a part in the game against Sporting Lisbon remains to be seen. More likely is a return for the match against Chelsea at Old Trafford next weekend. Hargreaves has spent a great deal of the last year on the injury list. After breaking a leg some 12 months ago he has suffered a number of niggly injuries including tendinitis which took him out of the pre season buildup. Hargreaves will not be lonely on the sidelines. Mikael Silvestre will be out for the season following cruciate knee damage while Park Ji Sung and Ben Foster are carrying similar injuries. Rooney is pushing for a comeback but John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher have also picked up knee injuries for Manchester United.