Owen Hargreaves to get shock World Cup call

Owen Hargreaves will be handed a shock ­passport to the World Cup after Gareth Barry’s dream appeared shattered.

Barry faces a minimum of four weeks on the sidelines after damaging ankle ligaments in Manchester City’s defeat to Spurs on Wednesday, with England medics fearing the injury is even more severe.

Boss Fabio Capello is ready to turn to Hargreaves as replacement in his starting side in the World Cup despite the Manchester United man having played barely 30 seconds in the past 21 months.

The Italian feels the Canadian-born midfielder, England’s best player at the 2006 World Cup, is the most natural choice to play as the main central holder, allowing Frank Lampard to make his trademark attacking runs.

Hargreaves has undergone significant surgery on a series of career-threatening knee injuries and only made his United return late on at Sunderland last week.