Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists Michael Owen can still make England's World Cup squad.

Although Ferguson believes Capello knows almost all of the men he wants alongside him in the battle for the world's biggest prize, the United chief insists Owen could still make it.

"There may be two or three places up for grabs," observed Ferguson. "Fabio maybe will have a number up to 25 in his mind. He will then have to eliminate from that to make 23.

"Michael Owen has a good chance because he is a striker and England don't have a tremendous number of them. The form of Carlton Cole will have encouraged him and Peter Crouch's goals don't do him any harm.

"Along with Wayne Rooney I think those three will go to South Africa, then it is a fight for one more."

He added: "Michael has to play more games.

"Maybe we shouldn't have played him against Wolfsburg. He felt his groin two days before, so we should have left it alone.

"He did train three days later but we know that part now and we wouldn't do it again."