Owen recovery on track
Newcastle have dismissed claims £17m (€24.8m) England striker Michael Owen has suffered a setback in his recovery from a fractured metatarsal.
Reports suggested the 26-year-old had been forced with withdraw from training and had undergone new scans, but caretaker boss Glenn Roeder today revealed the tests were a planned part of his rehabilitation.
“To suggest Michael Owen has had a setback is ridiculous,” he told the club’s official website, www.nufc.co.uk.
“People have to realise that in modern football, with all the technology we have, Michael’s programme was mapped out right back from the time of the injury.
“Part of that programme includes periodical scans and x-rays to make sure that everything is progressing as it should be.
“Michael had an x-ray and a scan on Monday as part of that programme. The results were very good and there was nothing on them that was of any concern for either us or Michael.
“He missed a couple of days at the training ground, but that’s because his surgeon is based in Manchester, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. Michael is back in the gym in Newcastle today.
“We accurately assess what stage players are at during their rehabilitation and Michael Owen is where we thought he would be at this stage of his recovery.”
Owen broke the bone in his foot during the 2-0 Barclays Premiership defeat at Tottenham on December 31 and after undergoing surgery, predicted that he would be back playing for the final month of the season.
Roeder has not entirely given up hope of him being fit for the FA Cup quarter-final trip to Chelsea later this month, although he admits it is more likely that he will return at the start of April.
Owen’s progress is being monitored closely by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who will depend heavily on the former Liverpool and Real Madrid star during this summer’s World Cup finals in Germany.
