Owen insists he's still good enough

Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were in from the start; fair enough. Javier Hern‡ndez, the new signing, and Federico Macheda were among the substitutes, but there was no room for Michael Owen - no place in the 18 for the man once regarded as the most devastating finisher in the sport.

He has grown wearily accustomed to watching football in a club suit, but it never gets easier. In total, he has made only six starts for Manchester United in the Premier League, and 14 in total, since moving from Newcastle United 16 months ago.