ALEX FERGUSON has delivered a robust response to Owen Hargreaves’s claims that Manchester United jeopardised the player’s career and angrily defended the reputation of the club’s medical staff.

“Do you think Alex Ferguson would have a bad medical staff?” the United manager said, reflecting on a controversy that prompted the Premier League champions to release an official statement countering the comments of their former player.

“Do you think I would allow that? Absolutely no chance. This club has to be successful and has to have the best people in the best positions to be successful. That’s what we’ve got. That is my opinion on Manchester United and that’s more important than what anyone has to say about it.”

Ferguson was visibly aggrieved when asked to respond to Hargreaves’s claims that he had been treated like “a guinea pig” and given a course of prolotherapy injections that worsened his condition, leaving him unable to walk some days and feeling like his knee “was made of glass”.

His former manager spent a long part of the day in specially convened talks with United’s chief executive, David Gill, and the club’s doctor, Steve McNally, to put together a statement that described them as “disappointed” with Hargreaves’s remarks, pointing out they did “not acknowledge any validity” in the player’s version of events.

“The club gave him the best possible care for three years and are as disappointed as anyone he was not able to play a part in the team’s success at that time.”

United have “shared all the medical records with Manchester City and are comfortable with the actions taken by medical staff at each step of his many attempts at rehabilitation”.

The club went on to say they “have some of the best medical staff in world sport, who have made a significant contribution to United’s on-pitch success in recent seasons”.

Hargreaves, now of Manchester City, had spoken of being “left to pick up the pieces” after a course of treatment that he believes directly contributed to a deterioration in his condition. He said he had since been given medical opinion that it was “absolutely” the wrong form of treatment. The 30-year-old talked of being put in “a shit position” and of his knees getting “significantly worse through the injections”.

Ferguson was asked whether he was disappointed the player had gone public.

“I’m not going into that because it’s not worth it – absolutely not worth it,” he said. “I think I’m right in what I’ve said. I’ve got a great medical staff. As far as I am concerned, my medical staff are one of the reasons why Manchester United have been so successful over the last few years. There is no doubt about that. Do you think we would have been successful if we didn’t have an operation that was not 100 per cent and worked absolutely brilliantly?”

United were unwilling to release any specific details about the treatment Hargreaves received, citing medical confidentiality both from the point of view of the club and the player.

They do, however, make it clear they are satisfied it was correct to administer the injections. The treatment tries to stimulate the growth of new fibres by injecting glucose into the ligaments. It has also been used by Rio Ferdinand to try to cure his long-standing back issues.

While United have made it clear they reject any suggestion that the wrong treatment was prescribed, the statement did not touch upon Hargreaves’s claims that he had been selected for his comeback match against Wolves last November despite telling the United boss that he was injured.

Hargreaves’s account is that he tried to get through the match without sprinting. He lasted only four minutes of the game and scans revealed he had a torn hamstring and calf.

The player is said to be relaxed and philosophical about the coverage of his remarks, though he hopes they will not be perceived as an attack on his former club when that was not his intention.

Hargreaves has been complimentary about United and Ferguson since leaving the club and, though his relationship with his former manager may have suffered irretrievable damage, he has no appetite for prolonging the argument.

That is the one point where he and United appear to be in agreement. Patrick Stewart, United’s in-house lawyer, was not involved in the talks with Ferguson, Gill and McNally and there is no desire at Old Trafford to take the matter further.

Ferguson has revealed skipper Nemanja Vidic is no nearer a comeback from his calf problem.

The Serbian limped out of the opening-day win at West Brom with the injury.

At the time, it was estimated Vidic would be out for six weeks. However, that deadline is now approaching and the defender is no nearer a comeback.

“It’s slow progress with Nemanja,” revealed Ferguson. “He’s not done any training. He is still getting treatment on the calf.

“Calves can be troublesome. I remember when Bryan Robson had calf trouble it kept him out for three months.

“Hopefully it’s not as long as that, but he’s not making any great progress at the moment.”