Fergie stands firm over Utd ace

Owen Hargreaves will play in Friday's Super Cup final, but Sir Alex Ferguson insists he won't be fit enough to feature for England.

The midfielder has only recently returned to full training after recovering from tendinitis in his knee, with the United boss keen for him to get some match action under his belt.

Ferguson has indicated that Hargreaves will play some part against Zenit St Petersburg, but has already told Fabio Capello that the former Bayern Munich man will not be available for England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia, on September 6 and 10.

When asked about Hargreaves' international prospects, the United boss "Owen will not be ready as he needs recovery time as well.

"Anyone could play against Andorra. But Croatia is different - you need players who are 100%.

"We sent Owen to the right specialist and he had the right treatment, so it is just a matter of him getting on with it now."

Ferguson added: "It has not been easy for him. Having tendinitis can be irritating for a player. But he has trained for 10 days and it is now important to give him some minutes on the pitch.

"I think it (the England games) will be too early for him. He is not ready for that."