The Guardian says United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is so appalled at the defender's conduct that there are misgivings within Old Trafford about whether the Argentina international should be considered for first-team action for as long as the dispute remains unresolved.

Heinze is so desperate to leave Manchester that he has appointed Liverpool's own solicitors, Hill Dickinson, in an extraordinarily confrontational move which has left Ferguson and several others at Old Trafford feeling badly let down.

The manager intends to talk the matter through with his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, before they decide whether Heinze is in the right state of mind to play any part for the club when their title defence opens at home to Reading on August 12.