England coach Fabio Capello has flown to Monaco to assess the form and fitness of Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves ahead of the forthcoming 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

The United midfielder has only just recovered from tendonitis but in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard the Italian tactician is desperate for midfield reinforcements.

However, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had made it clear the player is still not fully fit and won't be involved for the full 90 minutes of the Uefa Super Cup.

"I think it is impossible for him to play for England," warned Ferguson.

"This will be his first start and I won't be playing him for the full game. He will have to have a recovery (period). And therefore it will be very, very unlikely that Fabio (Capello) would risk him.

"OK they kick off the group against Andorra, and you might even think you (journalists) could play against them! But they struggled in that game (last year).

"And then they play in Croatia and that is a very, very difficult match. You need players who are 100% fit to play in a game of that nature. We know he is not ready for that."