Soccer: England face the loss of Owen for up to a year

Steve McClaren's new England regime officially begins only on 1 August, but already the bad news is mounting up.

The announcement on Wayne Rooney's international ban was delayed yesterday but it was the developments around Michael Owen's injury that proved more serious, with fears that he may be out of action for up to a year.

The 26-year-old has been to see the Colorado specialist Dr Richard Steadman, who has helped to rebuild the careers of, among others, Alan Shearer, Ronaldo and Alessandro Del Piero after they suffered cruciate ligament damage.

However, Owen's first examination identified other complications.

The examination revealed lateral cartilage damage which had to be repaired before the player's ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and Owen will now have to return to America after a further eight weeks for a second operation.

He may not now have his cruciate ligament operated on until the end of next month.

It means that the player could yet be out well into 2007.

McClaren's England play four of their Euro 2008 qualifiers between 2 September and 11 October and there are three more matches in the second half of the season.

With the possibility of a five-match ban hanging over Wayne Rooney after he was sent off in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal, the new manager's striking options could be severely limited.

It means that if the 16 August friendly goes ahead, against Greece, who may be banned, or an alternative side, McClaren may have to consider bringing in Dean Ashton, the West Ham striker.

It looks like Jermain Defoe will be given a recall and he could even start alongside Peter Crouch.

The Newcastle manager, Glenn Roeder, is looking at possible replacements for Owen this season following Alan Shearer's retirement.

Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt is among them, as are Defoe, Charlton's Darren Bent and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who is out of contract at Middlesbrough.

British newspaper the Daily Mail reported Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham has held secret talks with Newcastle about a possible return to English football. The paper printed photographs of Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd and Beckham's wife Victoria emerging from a hotel where the meeting was reportedly held.

Newcastle's opening fixture of the new campaign is little more than a week away, against Lillestrom or Keflavik in the Intertoto Cup on 15 July.

Only Albert Luque and James Milner are as available strikers.

- INDEPENDENT