da heads bet: Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves will miss the start of the new season following a fresh injury setback.
da blaze casino: United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the injury-plagued midfielder will not travel with the rest of the squad to a pre-season tour to the United States in order to seek specialist advice from the same knee surgeon who operated on him in 2008.
Hargreaves missed 18 months of action for the Red Devils after undergoing a double knee operation in summer 2008.
The England international finally returned to action in the penultimate game of last season, but Ferguson does not know when he will be back from his latest lay-off.
"He will not be ready for the start of the season," he told MUTV. "I do not know when he will be back."
Meanwhile, Ferguson has played down suggestions that Rio Ferdinand will not be fit for the first game of the new season.
Ferdinand missed the World Cup with a knee ligament injury picked up on the eve of the tournament in South Africa but was reported to be progressing well and ready to return for the opening game at home to Newcastle United on August 16.
"Rio will probably not make the start of the season," added Ferguson. "It will be close. It depends on his progress over the next few weeks."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email