With Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes all missing, while Darius Vassell and Jonathan Woodgate are also injured, England are looking to their experienced figures more than ever.

With David Beckham facing a fitness test later today, while 17-year-old Wayne Rooney is set to start up front, Eriksson will be relying on Owen’s experience as much as ever.

After all, for all of Rooney’s promise, Beckham and Owen have scored 26 of the 58 goals in the 30 games under Eriksson so far.

Owen, who has 15 of those, has certainly developed an uncanny knack of scoring just when it matters most for his country.

Whereas he used to aspire towards replacing Alan Shearer as England’s leading striker, now he has completed the transformation.

“It’s a nice responsibility to have. If people do rely on me to score goals, then I’m pleased they think that way of me,” he said.

“If you’re playing for England or Liverpool and you’re a striker, then it’s your job to do that.

“I feel that I’ve developed since those early days. Certainly Alan Shearer was a legend as far as England are concerned, with the service he gave the team over the years.

“He scored goals in the big games and you’d know, going into a World Cup, that Alan Shearer wouldn’t let you down.

“You need players that play on the big stage. You look around our team and we’ve certainly got a lot of those.”

Less so with Scholes, Gerrard and Ferdinand absent, although Frank Lampard and Owen Hargreaves are set to step into the midfield along with Nicky Butt, with John Terry partnering Sol Campbell at the back.

“A few years ago, I might have been on that list, but I’m fine at the moment,” reflected Owen.

He is at least confident that England can cope with the challenge awaiting them in Skopje, with the Football Association having rejected their ticket allocation and a hostile crowd expected.

That positive attitude is shared by Hargreaves, who is set to make his first start for England since the World Cup.

He insisted: “A lot of players thrive on things like maybe our supporters not being there. I think our fans are the best in the world and not having them there is obviously going to be difficult.

“But I think a lot of players thrive on pressure and the other fans having a go at you, so that can be a positive for us as well.”

Hargreaves nevertheless realises that England face a difficult test up against a Macedonia side that managed to secure a 2-2 draw at Southampton’s St Mary’s stadium only last October.

He added: “When you are playing these small countries, everyone thinks it’s going to be a walk but it never is.

“They drew in England and that just shows everyone what they’re capable of. They played very well against Turkey as well.

“So it’s going to be very difficult, but we’re still confident that we can get the three points we need.”