Owen gets Real warning

Michael Owen had been warned he should not expect to start every game at Real Madrid by tough-talking coach Jose Antonio Camacho.

The Spanish giants were handicapped last season by having only Ronaldo, Raul and Javier Portillo to call on up front, but they look much stronger now with the signing of Owen and the return of Fernando Morientes from his loan spell at Monaco.

“Players will have to start to get used to [the rotation system],” said Camacho. “In every game there will be one or two players who think they are going to play and who then won’t play.

“There are eight or nine players who will be regular first choice, but who could be rested depending on their condition, the opponent and how they play.

“We didn’t have many alternatives in attack last season and now we have more with some players who are important throughout the world.”

Portillo has moved to Serie A club Fiorentina on a year’s loan, but Camacho is delighted with his new attacking division even though he was known, following the return of Morientes, not to have made the signing of another striker one of his priorities.

However, Owen appears to be this year’s ‘galactico’ as Madrid continued their policy of signing a high-profile player each summer, following the arrival of David Beckham, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo in previous years.

“I am not annoyed at all (at Owen’s arrival),” Camacho added.

“Football is different these days and Real Madrid have the philosophy that they have to have an impact worldwide and that is what this kind of player gives you.”

Camacho will not be totally satisfied until president Florentino Perez signs another centre-back or a defensively-minded midfield player.

Madrid have missed out on Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira, and Camacho knows this is an area that still requires strengthening.

He added: “I am convinced that there are needs that the team needs to cover and the club are looking at them.

“We are going to carry on looking and just as we now have alternatives in attack, we need them in other positions.”