Owen's recovery takes a setback

Michael Owen appears to have suffered a setback in his bid to recover full fitness in time for the World Cup.

The England striker last night underwent surgery to tighten the screw inserted into his foot in January, which almost certainly means Owen's own target of playing for at least a month of the Premiership season with Newcastle will have to be revised.

The 26-year-old fractured a metatarsal in his right foot in a Premiership game at Tottenham on New Year's Eve and said two days after suffering the injury:

"The doctors seem happy with how the bone in my foot is healing and although it is too early to be making accurate forecasts, I hope to be back for at least a month of the Premiership season."

The operation to tighten the screw casts a major doubt on that target, as Owen would need to be back playing, never mind in full training, by April 7th with the Premiership season ending one month later.

He insisted the latest surgery was a "simple process" but would only say the operation "should ensure that I am back playing for Newcastle before the end of the season".

Owen initially returned to training on January 17th, and said at the time: "Thankfully I am going to be back for a decent part of the season and hopefully back into a team playing well. I am excited about coming back already.

"I am pleased with when I've played. This has been a bit of a blow but I'm striving to get back on the pitch as quick as possible and bang in the goals again."