Owen Future Decided In USA

Michael Owen will start his long rehabilitation when he jets out to America on Monday for an operation on his injured knee.

Like Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy before him, the 26-year-old striker will will come under the knife of Dr Richard Steadman in Colorado.

He will spend up to a fortnight in the United States before returning home.

Owen: 'It's just coming up to a couple of weeks now since I did it, and at the minute it is just dead time really while I'm waiting to have the operation. As soon as we get the operation out of the way, we will be looking forward to a fixed date or a fixed time to come back.

'The last few days has just been trying to get the swelling down and trying to get the knee as healthy as possible so we can get it operated on. I'll go out there on Monday, be examined on Tuesday, then we'll do the operation as quickly as possible and then get straight into the rehab.

'It is going to be a hard slog. I'll have the operation, and they tend to like you to stay out there for perhaps a week or 10 days after that to start the rehab, and they try to get the knee moving quite soon afterwards.

'I'd like to think I'll be back as soon as possible, obviously.'

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