Alex Ferguson has confirmed Owen Hargreaves will play no part in Manchester United's Far East tour. Untied complete their four-match trip against Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals tomorrow, after flying into China last night.
So far, Hargreaves, an £18million summer signing from Bayern Munich, has not participated in a full training session because of tendinitis in his knee.
"Hargreaves won't be playing at all on the tour," said Ferguson. "It's just tendinitis. It's becoming an irritant rather than a big problem.
"It's something we're going to have to do something about - not an operation, but we may have to give him an injection at some time."
While Hargreaves is still unsure exactly when he will be able to play, there was better news about Paul Scholes - who was forced to fly home for tests on a knee injury he picked up in last week's win over FC Seoul.
The former England star has now received a more precise diagnosis, with Ferguson confirming Scholes will be missing for three weeks - a timescale which rules him out of opening league games against Reading and Portsmouth but should leave him free for the Manchester derby at Eastlands on August 19th.
Ferguson has also backed Jose Mourinho's decision to adopt a low profile this season. The Chelsea boss seemed to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons far too often last term.
He has decided to court less publicity and Ferguson, who met many of Mourinho's jibes head on, believes it is a wise move.
"It's probably a good thing, because he was getting himself into all sorts of difficulties," said Ferguson.
"I think he's realised that everything he tries is just for a reason and to suit himself. Maybe he has realised that everyone has cottoned on to that, and that it doesn't have the same impact. They're not stupid.
"He's obviously not relished the bad publicity. He has obviously learned his lesson a little bit. Everybody does.
"I do like him. He came over and brought a bit of colour. He did really well on the publicity side in his first year because he was brash, young and making all his comments and he endeared himself to a lot of people."
