Sir Alex Ferguson says Federico Macheda will start full training in two weeks as he nurses the striker back to fitness.
The Italian striker, who became an instant hit with United fans when he hit the winning goals against Aston Villa and Sunderland last season, has only made five senior appearances this season.
The 18-year-old last saw action in a half-hour run out as a substitute against Tottenham in December but has returned to light training after a long-term injury Ferguson describes as 'disappointing'.
"We're not far away from having Owen Hargreaves back and [Kiko] Macheda has now started training," confirmed Ferguson. "That's a bonus because he can score a goal which could be important without Michael Owen for the rest of the season."