Ferguson points finger at Hargreaves for pull-out

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Sir Alex Ferguson claimed last night that it was Owen Hargreaves who had declared himself unfit to play in last night's European Super Cup defeat for Manchester United after another day in which Fabio Capello's relationship with the United manager was tested. The England manager had travelled to Monaco especially to see Hargreaves in action, only for news of the player's withdrawal to emerge during the day.

Ferguson said after the 2-1 defeat to Zenit St Petersburg that Hargreaves had complained of pain in his knee after the training session on Thursday night. Earlier on Thursday, Ferguson had controversially said that Hargreaves could play against Zenit but not for England in their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers. Angry with that remark, Capello had come to Monaco none the less, only for Ferguson to seemingly change his mind and pull Hargreaves out.

However, Ferguson said yesterday that it had been Hargreaves' decision and intimated that he was losing patience with the player who has suffered from tendinitis for the past 18 months. "After training, Hargreaves said he was not fit to play," Ferguson said. "There's nothing you can do about it. If a player declares himself unfit you have to accept that. We would like to have got him back into the run of things – he hasn't had enough football in the last year.

"He has trained for 10 days with the first team. There is no more we can do. We gave him the right platform of training programmes and the right tempo of training. Everything is done in the manner in which we play on a Saturday."

After Thursday's controversy, Capello may have been suspicious of Ferguson's motives for pulling Hargreaves out. He announces his England squad tomorrow and will probably bring back Michael Owen. Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch and Dean Ashton are in competition for the last of the four attacking places available.

Capello is already without Steven Gerrard, who underwent his groin operation yesterday, although the England manager seems to have come to some kind of understanding with the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, in a phone conversation yesterday. Yet the Italian is badly short of central midfielders, with Michael Carrick also injured.

Consequently, Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry appear to be certainties to start both games, with Jermaine Jenas in the squad as well. However, there is one remaining place still on offer, which could go to Tom Huddlestone, the Tottenham midfielder.