Giggs absent from open training

Published May. 24, 2011 1:57 p.m. ET

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Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs was absent from the club's open training session a day after being named in Parliament as the player at the center of a gag order.

Giggs was among several United players who did not train in front of the media on Tuesday ahead of the Champions League final Saturday against Barcelona at Wembley.

The 37-year-old Giggs, who is married with two children, was identified by Member of Parliament John Hemming during a House of Commons debate on Monday as the player involved in a high-profile privacy case.

A judge granted an injunction preventing media from publishing allegations that the player had an affair with reality television contestant Imogen Thomas, but Giggs' name had been spread all over the Internet and Twitter.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was curt Tuesday when asked about Giggs' importance for Saturday's game. He said ''all the players are important to us.''

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