LONDON, May 18: England defender Gary Neville and Argentina’s Gabriel Heinze are almost certain to miss the FA Cup final against Arsenal on Saturday, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said on Wednesday. Ferguson said Heinze had virtually lost his fight to recover from an ankle injury while Neville’s chances of overcoming a groin injury were only marginally better.

“I think Gaby Heinze is out. He doesn’t want to be ruled out at this moment in time but I don’t see him playing,” Ferguson told a news conference.

Of Neville, he added: “He’s not training, we’ve got the medical people working on him at the moment, thinking of something we can do to give him a chance...It’s not looking good.”

Neville missed United’s last league game of the season at Southampton on Sunday.

Heinze has been out of action for almost a month since injuring his ankle against Newcastle United on April 24.

Ferguson said he was sorry that Heinze, a successful signing from Paris St Germain a year ago, would miss the showpiece final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

“I particularly feel for Gaby because he’s been fantastic this season, he’s been a tremendous professional and a real winner,” Ferguson said.

“He deserves to play in the final but I think it’s beyond him now.”—Reuters