Sir Alex Ferguson has defended his ''punt'' on signing Michael Owen from Newcastle this summer after the striker made a promising start to his Manchester United career.
Owen has scored four goals in as many games since joining the Red Devils in a shock move from Tyneside and Ferguson expects more of the same this season in a gamble which may well pay dividends.
''He is a natural goalscorer and his record is fantastic,'' said the Scot. ''He is 29 now and he has just got to stay the way he has been for 10 years.''
The England frontman's injury woes have grabbed most of the attention over the last four years, but Ferguson believes if he can stay fit and agile - as he has been in pre-season so far - he could well turn out to be one of the bargains of the summer.
The 29-year-old should make his next appearance in a United shirt in this evening's Audi Cup clash with Boca Juniors, a game which will be staged in Munich's Allianz Arena.
Should he figure in that fixture and play again against either Bayern Munich or AC Milan, six games in 12 days would suggest his injury problems are a thing of the past.
''His injuries have always been the main subject and that is probably why everyone in Europe was not after him,'' continued the United manager. ''We don't think we have taken a risk, given his record as a goalscorer.
''It is a good punt, or a good bet on him to do well, and hopefully we are right.''
Owen has been given the number seven jersey at Old Trafford and, even if he can only score half as many as the last bearer of that shirt, his signing will be regarded as a success.
Cristiano Ronaldo, United's former number seven, scored 26 times last season and Ferguson admits Real Madrid's new signing is the new standard bearer in world football.
''Ronaldo is fantastic - the best player in the world - and we wish him well,'' he said. ''He has given us six great years and it is difficult to hold onto players from other countries for that long.
''We were lucky. I never expected to have him for more than six years.
''The move to Madrid was something he wanted and we thought we should grant him that. He was great for us, never let us down and was a great professional. He will do well next year.''
Ferguson will this evening take his first close look at the man earmarked to take Ronaldo's position in his side next season, Antonio Valencia, but there will be no sight of former Bayern midfielder Owen Hargreaves just yet.
Hargreaves was the first player to score a goal in a competitive match at the Allianz Arena when he netted here for the Bavarians in August 2005.
But his career, like that of Owen's, has been dogged by injury recently and Ferguson does not want to do anything which may jeopardise him making a complete recovery from two knee operations - not even for reasons of nostalgia for the Canada-born 28-year-old, who spent a decade growing up in Munich.
''Hargreaves will not play in this tournament,'' he said. ''We had hoped he would be joining us, but he is still in his programme of rehabilitation.
''He has had major operations on both knees and we are not rushing that. He is young enough to come back once he is fully fit, but we are not rushing him.''
Sir Alex Ferguson would love to see Michael Owen make England's 2010 World Cup squad because it would mean he'd have enjoyed a successful debut season at Old Trafford.
The Reds' summer acquisition has not represented his country since the 1-0 defeat to France in March 2008 and has not figured in any of Fabio Capello's squads to date.
But following his surprise switch to Old Trafford last month, Owen has already caught the eye thanks to four goals in as many games during United's Asia Tour.
Capello was in the stands to see the 29-year-old in action against Valencia on Wednesday and although Owen didn't make it onto the scoresheet, Capello will have been encouraged by his movement and link-up play with fellow England striker Wayne Rooney.
Sir Alex has been delighted with Owen's match and training performances so far and feels, providing he can produce the goods for United, he has a great chance of booking a spot on the plane to South Africa should England qualify.
"England are not endowed with a bunch of top strikers. Rooney has been the only consistent one over the last few years; they've tried Heskey, Crouch, even Walcott, but there really is a dearth of top English strikers. So that gives Michael Owen a chance," explained the boss on Friday.
"We've just told him to enjoy himself here. He's not missed one training session and has operated really well in games and shown some clever stuff which has been very pleasing.
"That's really only what Fabio can look at because he has to pick the best players; Michael's name and reputation from the past will not get him into the World Cup squad. It's about what he does with us in the coming season which will hopefully get him in."
Michael Owen must continue to wait for another England chance but head coach Fabio Capello has confirmed the Manchester United striker will be welcomed back into the squad if he can rediscover his scoring touch.
Owen missed out on a place in Capello's squad for next week's friendly against Holland in Amsterdam, while veteran Portsmouth goalkeeper David James did not feature due to injury and Peter Crouch was also omitted.
Former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle frontman Owen won the most recent of his 89 caps against France in March 2008, but his move to Old Trafford this summer has provided him with the platform to return from the international wilderness, in time for next summer's World Cup.
Owen was left out by Capello while he struggled with his fitness at Newcastle, but the striker has shown signs of returning to his best form during United's pre-season campaign.
His chances of an international recall improved dramatically when Sir Alex Ferguson paired Owen with Wayne Rooney and he may have another chance to impress in Sunday's Community Shield against Chelsea.
"I think it is a fantastic chance for Owen to play another time with a really important team and in the Champions League," said Capello.
"It is another chance and that is really important for the player. The door is open.
"He has to play well and score goals. He has to get back to what he was before last season."
When asked if he believed Owen could rediscover the form that saw him score 40 goals for England during a career that began in February 1998, Capello replied: "It is very important to play with an important team.
"He is young, he is only 29. He is not old, so why not?"
Capello also believes that playing with Rooney can enhance Owen's chances, but any player has to demonstrate he is at the top of his game to ensure he is selected.
"We choose the players in form at the right moment," said Capello. "Rooney is in a good moment of form. It is important for the future to know the movement better, it will be easier for both of them.
"I want to keep the spirit of the group, to stay together, to prepare for the next really important game against Croatia. It's very important to play well and I will choose the best."
Another player in his squad is David Beckham, who will fly over from America for the match.
Beckham has told Capello he wants to remain a part of the England set-up despite being criticised by fans of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Beckham left Galaxy to play for AC Milan at the end of the American season and Capello says it is important for his future England career that he continues to play first-team football, meaning he will need a move when the Major League Soccer season comes to a close this autumn.
"I spoke about this problem last year," said Capello. "He played with AC Milan and played very well and was happy. If he wants to stay with us he has to play.
"Now he plays with the Galaxy, but he wants to play with them and England.
"This is the problem. The fans have to understand also he is English, this is the reason why he played with AC Milan.
"It's a long flight to come here. But we know he wants to stay (with us) because Franco (Baldini, an assistant of Capello) spoke with him and met him and said he wants to come."
The timing of next week's friendly, just three days prior to the start of a new season, has concerned some Premier League bosses.
But Capello said: "It's not a problem because the players are fresh.
"We will decide with the players and speak with them because some will have played Saturday, others will have played Sunday. The training will be different.
"I respect managers and their ideas. It is important to have a relationship with the managers but more important is that when the players play with us, they have to understand my style.
"Every manager has a different style and I respect that. I speak with managers always about the general situation about the players, but after that I decide.
"If a manager tells me a player is tired and can play only until half-time, okay, it is not a problem. But I will decide."