England striker Michael Owen may be out all season after a severe knee injury sustained at the World Cup, his Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder told the BBC on Thursday.
”It’s a long-term injury. I don’t know if he’ll play again this season,” Roeder said.
”Michael has an injury that will take a fair bit of time to repair. If we put a date on it and we say that he’ll be back by next March, and then he’s not fit, then it will cause more problems.”
Owen (26) ruptured the anterior cruciate knee ligament in the first minute of England’s 2-2 World Cup draw against Sweden in June.
An operation in the United States on the ligament has been delayed until September because he first required an operation in July to repair cartilage damage on the knee.
Owen missed a big part of the past season due to a stress fracture in his foot and only barely regained his fitness to play at the World Cup. — Sapa-dpa