Owen undergoes successful surgery

[Karl]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3><DIV class=mxb><DIV class=sh>Owen undergoes successful surgery </DIV></DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV> <DIV class=cap>Owen was injured against Sweden at the World Cup</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Newcastle striker Michael Owen has undergone successful surgery on his ruptured cruciate knee ligament.

Owen was injured playing for England at the World Cup in June and is set to miss most, if not all, of this season.

But he can now begin his rehabilitation after being operated on by specialist Dr Richard Steadman in America.

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder told his club's website: "Our club doctor Roddy Macdonald is in Colorado and told me the operation went extremely well."

Roeder added: "As far as Michael is concerned, he can now start to focus on playing again.

"It's going to be a long haul but he can start to focus on that.

"And I look forward to the day when I can write his name on a Newcastle United teamsheet."

Owen spent the second half of last season on the sidelines after breaking a bone in his foot at the end of December and only made one appearance for Newcastle before starting preparations for the World Cup.

But he endured a frustrating campaign in Germany before his misery was compounded when he was carried off on a stretcher with his current injury in the 2-2 draw against Sweden.

Surgery on the injury then had to be delayed because he required an operation to repair cartilage damage on the same knee in July.
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[Karl]

RE: Owen undergoes successful surgery

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3><DIV class=mxb><DIV class=sh>Fifa considers Owen compensation </DIV></DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV> <DIV class=cap>Owen is not expected to play again this year</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Fifa president Sepp Blatter says his organisation is considering paying Newcastle compensation for the serious knee injury suffered by Michael Owen.

Owen ruptured his cruciate ligament on England duty and is expected to be out for the rest of the year.

The Football Association will also pay compensation to Newcastle.

Blatter said Fifa has put a fund of £6m aside to cover "cases of this kind", but that a final decision would not be made until the end of the tournament.

<DIV class=avinline>Interview: Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd </DIV>

"The English FA will now have to look at this matter because they made Owen available to play and this will then be put to Fifa," said Blatter.

"This case will be decided at the end of the tournament but this fund does exist for this kind of serious injury."

Magpies chief Freddy Shepherd said he was furious with reports that the FA had taken out additional cover in case Wayne Rooney got injured.

"From what I hear - and the source is good - a separate deal was done for Rooney," he told the Daily Express.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sibStdQuote><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>We have one insurance policy in place which covers all England players <DIV id=q2></DIV><BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>FA statement</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

"If it's true the FA took out extra cover for Rooney then that is wrong."

But the FA has insisted that it treats all players on international duty the same.

"We have assured Freddy Shepherd that we have one insurance policy in place which covers all England players," said an FA spokesman.

"No additional policies have been taken out, or premiums paid, to cover any individual players.

"This policy compensates clubs for both permanent and temporary injuries sustained by players whilst on international duty with England at a considerable cost to the FA.

"It is important to point out that the FA is one of the very few national associations that has such a policy in place to compensate clubs."

Owen has barely played for Newcastle this year after suffering a broken foot on New Year's Eve, and now faces another long lay-off after the injury in the 2-2 draw with Sweden.
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