Soccer: Fowler desperate to start

Robbie Fowler’s quest to regain a regular place in the Liverpool starting line-up has taken a knock with Michael Owen claiming he could return to action within three weeks and manager Gerard Houllier heaping unstinted praise on double match-winner Jari Litmanen.

Fowler has indicated that he aims to take Houllier’s criticism on board and knuckle down to prove people wrong.

However, the 26-year-old is in a vicious circle of needing games for match fitness but not being risked in crucial games because his form is so unreliable.

Liverpool face Newcastle at St James’ Park on Sunday with Owen a constant tormentor of the Magpies in recent seasons sitting out the match because of a hamstring injury.

But the England striker said: ‘‘As far as I’m concerned, three weeks isn’t an optimistic target it’s a pessimistic one.’’

Owen, with his new four-year contract all signed and sealed, has already targeted the trip to Leicester on October 20 as his return match - much to the delight of Houllier.

But where would that leave Fowler, now fourth in line after Litmanen’s goalscoring heroics against Spurs and Dynamo Kiev?

And where does that leave Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plans for next Saturday’s World Cup showdown with Greece, where a fit, in-form Fowler would have been a natural to replace Owen in England’s front line?

If Fowler doesn’t play at Newcastle, Eriksson cannot contemplate picking him for England.

The troubled striker has only completed a full 90 minutes on two occasions in Liverpool’s 12 games this season, starting only four times.

And Houllier is unlikely to leave Litmanen out after a wonderful week for the Finnish international.

Houllier said: ‘‘Jari has done very well, he came to us as a striker but has been prepared to take up the role of any position in midfield or up front we have asked him to do. I cannot praise his attitude highly enough.’’

He added: ‘‘We have plenty of quality here. But talent and skill doesn’t always surface you need more than that to reach the top.’’

Club and country will wait and see whether Houllier gives Fowler the chance against Newcastle to prove his fitness for England.

Houllier, however, wants his side to avoid the disaster that befell them at Newcastle last season, when after a fine European performance at Olympiakos in Greece during the midweek, the Anfield side slumped to a 2-1 defeat in the north east at the weekend.

Houllier said: ‘‘We were disappointed with that. We dominated the game but lost.

‘‘I hope my team will this time show that after a tough European midweek match, they have grown and matured and step up to face the challenge in their next Premiership match. We need the points to get a better position in the league.’’

Steven Gerrard steps down again to serve the second match of his three game domestic ban, leaving Houllier to decide who plays alongside Dietmar Hamann.

He is not short of options - Gary McAllister, Danny Murphy, Jamie Redknapp and Igor Biscan are all in the frame.

Apart from Owen’s absence, Houllier only has Markus Babbel and Patrik Berger now recovering from illness and injury, with the latter close to a comeback having started full training this week.

Three successive clean sheets and five games unbeaten suggests Liverpool have got their act together after successive league defeats by Bolton and Aston Villa put them in the bottom half of the table.