Video: Owen's impact

Michael Owen may have been ruled out of action for the rest of the season, but no one can deny the impact he has made in his first term at Old Trafford.

His contribution has been impressive enough to make Sir Alex ponder whether the striker should have been more involved in the campaign. The United boss said: "I don’t think I’ve played Michael enough but that’s because Wayne Rooney has been so good.

“It’s been hard to play him because when we opt to play one up front we generally go for Wayne. We use that system (4-5-1 / 4-3-3) quite a lot now. With the midfield options and wide players we have it’s a good system for us. That’s curtailed Michael’s opportunities.

"Michael has done very well for us, though. His training performances have been terrific, he’s good in the dressing room and he made a chance in every game he came on in. He might have missed some, and he will be disappointed with himself, but he was always a threat in terms of movement in the final third."