Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to decide whether to hand midfielder Owen Hargreaves a spot in Manchester United's 25-man squad.

The squad lists must be submitted by all Premier League clubs before 5pm on Wednesday, the day after the transfer deadline, with no changes allowed until the next transfer window opens in January.

The new concept has provoked widespread disquiet within the English game, with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in particular protesting against the move.

United boss Ferguson, however, feels the new rule is a good thing, but admits it has caused him a selection headache as Hargreaves struggles to recover from a major knee injury.

"I only have one issue really - whether I can afford to allot one of the 25 places to Owen Hargreaves as he continues to battle for full fitness," Ferguson told United Review.

Battle

Hargreaves appeared to have won his fitness battle when he made his first outing since October 2008 off the bench against Sunderland last term.

But after suffering another setback during pre-season, the 29-year-old has now returned to the United States for more rehabilitation work under the guidance of Dr Richard Steadman, knowing failure to recover will almost certainly spell the end of his career.

Wednesday could be crucial to Hargreaves' future, but Ferguson believes such issues are simply by-products of what he believes is a valuable scheme.

He said: "I welcome the new restrictions because it puts the emphasis on the need for clubs to produce their own players and I have always believed that is the right way to go."