England manager Fabio Capello says Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves could still be included in his squad for the 2010 World Cup despite his injury. Hargreaves, 28, has not played since September 21, 2008 due to tendinitis in his knees, but he is back in training. "He has time to recover everything," Capello said. "But he has to play, otherwise he will not be with me. "I spoke to him two months ago, I met him in Manchester when he was ready to start training. But now he is not fit." Hargreaves' comeback is being carefully managed by United after he underwent ground-breaking surgery in the United States to combat his injuries. His condition, patellar tendinitis, can be described as inflammation of the tendon that attaches the quadriceps (thigh muscle) to the tibia (shin bone). The Canadian-born midfielder had been expected to rejoin the United squad in August this year, but was forced to delay his comeback and has still not returned to full training with the rest of the team. Hargreaves has won the last of his 42 international caps against USA at Wembley in May 2008, but Capello says if he starts playing regularly for his club, he could still be picked in the 23-man squad for South Africa. "Owen has six months to recover his good form, but he needs to play football," added Capello. "I will choose players that will be fit in May, the players that play all the games. "When I decide the 23 players that will stay with me, I hope the best players will be fit. This is the reason why I have to follow more players."