Fergie: Hargreaves op vital - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Fergie: Hargreaves op vital

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Manchester United were left with no option but to send Owen Hargreaves for a career-saving knee operation in America.

Hargreaves has not been pain free since arriving at Old Trafford from Bayern Munich last year. And, following a meeting with renowned knee surgeon Dr Richard Steadman in Colorado, Hargreaves has been forced to go under the knife in a bid to cure the problem.

"We have exhausted every other way of dealing with the situation," said Ferguson. "We have tried to manage it by sending him to a specialist in Leicester for a series of injections. Their success rate is very good. Unfortunately it wasn't good enough for Owen because he was still feeling great pain in his knee caps."

He added: "We had to look at the next stage and that meant sending him for an operation."

Hargreaves has had one operation and will return to Canada for a short spell before having a second.

Then he will begin a lengthy rehabilitation programme that Ferguson hopes will result in the £18million midfielder being able to prove he was an astute signing after all.

"It is going well so far," said Ferguson. "The surgeon is very pleased with it and we had a physio there who was happy as well.

"We hope it will get rid of the problem and he will come back a new player."

Sport in brief in Pictures

Don't Miss
Gala night for the Queen of arts - stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute

Happy & glorious

Stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute to Queen
Prints charming: patterned trousers for summer

Prints charming

Patterned trousers for summer
Promethipedia: the lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus

Promethipedia

The lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus
The Middletan: Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London

The Middletan

Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London
Amy Childs bares all like Britney

Dare to bare

Amy Childs vajazzles like Britney
Thais go Gaga: singer’s ‘fake rolex’ tweet sparks new tour row... but fans still mob her at airport

Thais go Gaga

Singer mobbed at airport
Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon

Fashion

Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon
Chelsea Champions League celebrations - in pictures

Victory parade

Chelsea Champions League celebrations
High-flying heroes

High flying heroes

David Oyelowo reveals all about new film Red Tails
The Twitter Diaries: Think Bridget Jones tries social networking

The Twitter Diaries

Think Bridget Jones tries social networking