Hamstring to aid Owen recovery?

Michael Owen's cruciate ligament damage could be repaired using his hamstring.

The England striker saw his World Cup come to a shattering end when he was removed after a minute of the 2-2 draw with Sweden, and initial reports suggest he will be out for a period of five months with the injury.

As both The Three Lions and Newcastle United contemplate life without their main striker for an extended period, the focus on his rehabilitation has now begun.

Owen has suffered hamstring problems in the past but it now appears that the muscle could be the key to his recovery from his serious knee injury according to a specialist.

"They have had artificial ligaments but using a bit of your hamstring is the most popular method," said Amanda Marsh, clinical lead physiotherapist at Guy's and St Thomas'.

"They take a bit of tendon and, using key-hole surgery, thread it through and screw it.

"That is the most popular but the other option is using the patella tendon just below the knee cap."

The specialist also indicated that recovery can take up to a year for the injury, but at the very least Owen is facing four months out of the game.

"There are a lot of variables when estimating recovery time," added Marsh.

"Four months would be a minimum and six months would be a great result for a return to elite level sport.

"One criteria of people returning is having confidence in the knee, especially as a footballer asking `will it go again'.

"He will have to have 90 percent strength in it and have confidence before returning."