Soccer: Owen 'doesn't look good for Cup return'

COLOGNE - England striker Michael Owen was taken away on a stretcher after twisting his knee just over a minute into their final World Cup soccer Group B game with Sweden today.

Asked if Owen would be out for the rest of the tournament, England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said: "Maybe, I hope not but it doesn't look good at all."

England midifelder Steven Gerrard added: "He's really down. We need to support him. It's not looking good."

Owen, who will have a scan later today, fell awkwardly and twisted his right knee as he went down, forcing Eriksson to send on Peter Crouch as a fourth minute substitute in the 2-2 draw.

He was hoping to avoid using Crouch since the lanky striker already has one yellow card and another would rule him out of Sunday's second round match against Ecuador in Stuttgart.

Owen had been looking to show his true form against the Swedes, having been given less than an hour in England's two previous group wins over Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago after a lengthy absence with a broken foot.

A serious injury for the 26-year-old, who has scored 36 goals in 79 England appearances, is a blow to their tournament prospects.

Along with Wayne Rooney, who against the Swedes was starting his first game since breaking his foot on April 29, Owen is England's only proven goalscorer at the top level.

Eriksson had gambled by taking only four strikers to Germany, with the other being 17-year-old Theo Walcott.

The teenager has only made one substitutes' appearance for England, in last month's friendly win over Hungary, and has never played for Arsenal since joining them in January.

Crouch, who scored the opening goal in last week's 2-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, is still at the start of his England career, leaving Eriksson short of options.

- REUTERS