Anxious Owen still by girlfriend's bedside

The girlfriend of Michael Owen is still in hospital after her injuries in a riding accident turned out to be much worse than was at first thought.

Louise Bonsall broke her pelvis in five places after falling from her horse and has now spent two weeks in hospital.

Friends of the striker said last night that Owen was leaving her side only to attend training and matches for Liverpool FC.

Miss Bonsall, Owen's girlfriend since the pair met at primary school, was injured when her horse reared up and threw her while she was riding in the grounds of their £1.6million home. Although the horse landed on top of her, Miss Bonsall's injuries were not, at first, considered severe and she was expected to remain in the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester for only a few days.

However, her mother has confirmed that 23-year- old Miss Bonsall had suffered multiple breaks to her pelvis.

She was described by family friends as being 'in a bad way' and is expected to remain in hospital for at least another week.

She will then have difficulty moving around at home and will need help. Owen, 24, has been driving to the hospital from training to spend as much time as possible with Miss Bonsall, with whom he has a baby daughter, eight-monthold Gemma Rose.

The England star has also been sleeping at her bedside.

Miss Bonsall's mother, Sue, who has been looking after the couple's daughter, said: 'Louise has fractured her pelvis in five places. We are visiting her as often as we can.'

Despite the injury, Mrs Bonsall said that her daughter was managing to stay 'in good spirits'.

Owen, who rushed to his partner's aid after the accident on Sunday, January 4, has shunned the celebrity footballer lifestyle and instead chooses to spend most of his time with his family.

He described the birth of his daughter as 'the most amazing moment' of his life. However, the couple have denied being engaged, despite Owen buying her a £10,000 ring at Christmas.

The pair share a passion for riding, with Owen owning several race horses. Miss Bonsall is studying horsemanship at a local college.

The couple's plans for an extension at their Tudor, 30-acre home - Lower Soughton Hall, in Flintshire, North Wales - were refused a fortnight ago.

They have not moved far from where they became sweethearts, at primary school in Hawarden, North Wales. Their families still live nearby and both sets of parents have also been regular visitors to the hospital.

A pelvic fracture can usually be treated with bed rest, but more severe cases require surgery to set the bones in place using pins.

Successful operations are considered tricky because the pelvis has an unusual shape and is located deep in the body near several delicate structures, including the bladder and reproductive organs.

A break may take several months to heal, during which time the patient will need help moving around to avoid putting weight on the hip bone. The patient will also have to spend long periods in bed.