Owen in new injury crisis

Michael Owen's season lay in ruins yesterday after an injury ruled him out for at least a month, including Sven Goran Eriksson's first match in charge of England.

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier confirmed that Owen had suffered a recurrence of his long-standing hamstring problem, after initially describing it as merely 'stiffness' in his right leg, and immediately arranged for the troubled striker to have a scan.

As he waited for the latest findings on a condition that has dogged Owen for almost two years, a worried Houllier admitted: 'It is his hamstring which is causing the trouble and we need to find out exactly how bad it is.'

On past evidence, Liverpool's luckless England striker can expect anything between a month and 10 weeks on the sidelines as the medical staff at Anfield continue their elusive search for a long-term cure.

Houllier refused to look beyond Saturday's FA Cup-tie at Leeds but has privately conceded that he will be without the 21-year-old for at least the next four weeks.

With Owen's eventual return certain to be supervised with the utmost caution, he seems sure to miss both UEFA Cup games against Roma, on February 15 and 22, and Eriksson's debut as England manager against Spain a week later. Houllier said: 'Michael will not be available for Wednesday's Worthington Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace or the trip to Elland Road, that is for sure. We will see how he feels after that but he is going to be out for some time. We should know more after he has had a scan.'