Alex Ferguson handed Michael Owen the prized Manchester United number seven shirt and then declared Old Trafford closed for transfer business.

It was anticipated Ferguson would make further signings in addition to Owen, Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan, who joined last week from Bordeaux.

But, faced with a market over-inflated by Real Madrid and Manchester City, Ferguson has decided his current squad is good enough to challenge for an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title, even though Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have left.

He said: “It is the end of our business, so all these stories about who were are supposed to be getting - forget it.”

It means Owen will take over Ronaldo’s shirt and his place in an attacking line-up containing Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, plus youngsters Daniel Welbeck and Federico Macheda, who will both be given a chance to prove they are worthy of the accolades that have been bestowed on them.

“They are both young players — but young players with ability always get a chance here.”

Owen is desperate to shrug off the injury-prone tag he believes is unwarranted.

Although he accepts a broken metatarsal and subsequent cruciate knee ligament injury, caused as a direct result of rushing back to action too quickly in order to appear at the 2006 World Cup, wrecked his first two years at Newcastle, with 33 and 32 appearances to his name in the second half of a four-year deal, Owen believes there is little wrong with his body.

"It does irritate me that so many people have doubts," he said. "But if there is one thing I am angered by, the injury thing would be it.

"There is no doubt I have had injuries in my career. But there is a long list of players that have had a broken metatarsal.

"I was foolish trying to rush back for the World Cup and my leg had just come out of plaster.

"But I played 33 and 32 games in the last two years in a team that was not in Europe and did not go on a decent cup run. Still I was continually labelled injury-prone, which gets up my nose.

"I am 29 and have played over 500 games for club and country. That says it all."

What Owen does accept the need to prove is the retention of ability that has made him only the fourth striker in England history to score 40 goals for his country.

"In certain parts, people do have a justification to have a go at me," he said. "I didn't set the world alight in the last year at Newcastle. That is no-one's fault but mine. We were not playing well as a team and I wasn't doing my bit either."