Owen set to miss qualifiers

Striker facing three weeks out

By James Dall & Rob Parrish   Last updated: 25th September 2007

Owen set to miss qualifiers

Owen: Out for three weeks

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Michael Owen looks certain to miss England's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia next month.

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed that the striker will be sidelined for the next three weeks and will see a specialist about his troublesome hernia injury with a decision still to be made if he requires surgery.

Initial concerns over Owen's fitness arose when he was substituted in Newcastle's Premier League defeat at Derby.

A scan then showed no serious damage and Owen started the following fixture against West Ham, but limped out of the action moments into the second half after landing awkwardly following a challenge with Anton Ferdinand.

Thursday

Allardyce said: "He has a 3cm tear in his abductor muscle and will see a specialist on Thursday to decide whether he will need a hernia operation or not.

"He will decide when he sees the specialists whether he needs the hernia operation or not.

"Whoever does the surgery cannot say whether he needs a hernia or not until they have seen him, unless they are magic and they can see over here from Germany and peer into his stomach and say 'oh by the way, you have got a hernia and need an operation on it'.

"It will be three weeks out. He would miss England with his groin, so we might as well check up whether he needs a hernia op or not while he is out for two or three weeks with his abductor tear."

Dogged by injuries

Owen has been dogged by injuries since moving to St James' Park from Real Madrid, suffering a broken metatarsal in December 2005 before damaging his cruciate knee ligaments in the World Cup.

With England facing Estonia at Wembley on 13th October before travelling to Russie four days later, Steve McClaren has a striking headache.

The England boss is already expected to be without Emile Heskey after the Wigan striker, who impressed on his return to the international scene alongside Owen, underwent surgery on his metatarsal injury.

But Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is available again having recovered from the foot fracture he sustained on the opening day of the season.