Knee boost for Owen

Michael Owen has received a “big bonus” in his bid to recover from a knee injury after scans revealed only his anterior cruciate ligament was ruptured while playing for England.

The 26-year-old fell awkwardly in the opening minute of the World Cup clash against Sweden in Cologne, with fears he may have also damaged the medial ligament.

Owen will meet top knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman, the man who saved the careers of both Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy, in America early in the week and will have surgery.

Although the good news may not necessarily speed the Newcastle striker’s return to action, it could affect his confidence during rehabilitation. He is expected to be out until New Year.

“We’ve had all the scans done over here, basically we’re thinking from what the scans say that it’s a cruciate,” said Owen on official website www.nufc.co.uk.

“It’s a rupture, you can’t see the cruciate on the scan so it’s obviously floating about somewhere in the knee, but apart from that there is minimal damage.

“There is nothing else that needs operating on, so that is a big bonus.

“Not so much of a bonus in terms of time limits, but just in coming back where you have just one injury to come back from and not plenty of things going on in your knee.”