Fergie puts on United front with Owen

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is adamant that Michael Owen, who is desperate to feature in the World Cup, has a future at Old Trafford.

"It is just about the blend with your strikers," said Ferguson yesterday. "Sometimes, with the strength I have got in midfield, it suits us to play with one striker and we like to see Wayne Rooney through the middle.

"Everyone knows Michael is a last-defender player. There is no-one better at that because his movement and positional sense in the last third is excellent. It is a difficult choice to play two directly through the middle in the modern day game. But Michael is not out of the equation at all."

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