Owen an England doubt - Houllier

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has thrown doubt on Michael Owen’s chances of playing for England against Denmark at Old Trafford this month.

But even so he is aiming to get the 23-year-old striker fit to confront Manchester United in Sunday’s Anfield showdown.

Owen was left behind on Merseyside today because of his ankle problem, as his Liverpool colleagues flew to Romania for Thursday’s UEFA Cup clash with Steaua Bucharest.

It is clear Houllier aims to get Owen fit to face United in the Barclaycard Premiership – but may then pull him out of the England squad which will assemble for the following weekend’s friendly international.

“He may well have been able to play in Bucharest, but it is a gamble and not a risk I want to take,” said Houllier.

“If he plays on Thursday he may well not make it for the Sunday game against Manchester United. But I doubt he will make it for England.”

Houllier is hoping that a week of treatment at the Melwood training complex will ensure Owen is fit to face United.

Owen has been struggling with injuries since damaging a shin last month against Arsenal – a problem which cost him his place in England’s Euro 2004 qualifier in Turkey.

He then missed two Liverpool games but returned to score against Leeds on October 25. But he managed only an hour of that victory before being taken off by Houllier.

It has become clear that he acquired a different ankle injury that day and missed the Carling Cup win at Blackburn, before playing another hour in Sunday’s victory at Fulham.

Houllier confirmed: “This is a different injury to the one he had against Arsenal.

“That was a shin injury, but this is now his ankle. The two are not related. He has had it for a certain time, and it settles well and the pain goes after three or four days.

“At the end of the day we want the best for his fitness as well. I do not want to gamble with his health. If he has a recurring injury it is best at some stage to give him a week and see how he does.”

Houllier is preparing to face the Romanians without Owen, who set a new club record for European goals when he scored in the last round in Slovenia against Olimpija Ljubljana.

He has been Houllier’s talisman in away European ties with a club record there too.

But the fact that Liverpool have produced a front line partnership of Emile Heskey and Harry Kewell – or could even play French teenager Florent Sinama-Pongolle – has given Houllier the breathing space to give Owen a rest.

The good news on the injury front is that Heskey has recovered from the toe injury which affected him at Loftus Road on Sunday, and Pongolle is also fit after the horror tackle for which Luis Boa Morte was sent off.

Houllier has revealed: “Florent has received a call from Luis personally to apologise, and we appreciate that. He was obviously just frustrated.”