England striker Michael Owen will be sidelined for five months after scans confirmed a serious knee injury, Sky Sports News reported on Wednesday. The 26-year-old striker twisted his right knee in the second minute of the 2-2 draw with Sweden in England's final Group B match on Tuesday. A scan determined Owen's injury will prevent the Newcastle United player from taking any further part in the World Cup and the player was rushed to England for further tests the English FA said. "Obviously it's a massive blow to suffer the injury - and be out of the World Cup," England's star forward said. "As soon as it happened I knew I was in trouble. It was a major disappointment to pick up the injury so early in the game." Further tests on Wednesday revealed that the former Liverpool and Real Madrid ace sustained a cruciate ligament injury that could see him sidelined until the end of the year, Sky Sports reported on their official website. Owen, who has been healing from injury issues since late December, expressed his regret at leaving his teammates just as they move into the round of 16.
"I'm clearly sorry to be leaving the lads in Germany, but I'm convinced they can go on and achieve success," he said. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson commiserated on the loss of Owen, who struggled to be fit for the 2006 World Cup, but was substituted out during both of England's opening games without scoring. "Michael has had terrible luck with injuries since Christmas. "I feel very sorry for him to miss out on the rest of the World Cup - it's a blow to him and a big loss for the team," the Swede coach said. "However I am sure Michael will work very hard to get back as quickly as possible for Newcastle and England. He is a true professional and a very mentally strong person." Regardless of the loss to England's lineup, Eriksson remained optimistic about England's chances for the knockout round. "I hope the team can now go on and achieve success in Germany for Michael."
