Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Michael Owen will not be playing any part in the champions league match against Valencia. While talking about the importance of Owen in the team, Ferguson said that while the striker’s ability cannot be questioned, there is no chance of playing him in the next match due to his current condition.

"Michael has no chance of being involved (against Valencia)," said Ferguson. "He returned to training in the middle of last week but we are going to make sure he gets two more weeks behind him. We don't want to take any risks because it was probably our fault he was injured last time."

Michael Owen has been rather prone to injuries for most of his career and has recently spent quite some time off the playing field. Earlier this year, he ruptured his hamstring during the Carling Cup final – an injury that led to him being unable to play in the 2010 World Cup or the rest of the season. The injury recurred in October this year and Owen has been off the bench since.

Danny Welbeck and Gabriel Obertan should play though.