Owen blow hits Sven's plans

England's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2004 were dealt a further blow today when Michael Owen was definitely ruled out of Saturday's crucial match with Turkey.

The Liverpool striker was sent home this morning after failing to recover from the shin injury he suffered playing against Arsenal last weekend.

Football Association spokesman Adrian Bevington said: "Michael Owen will not be travelling to Turkey with the team this afternoon.

"After receiving treatment from our medical staff - who have been in consultation with the medical team at Liverpool - over the past three days, it was felt that, despite Michael making excellent progress, he would not be fit for Saturday's game.

"It is impractical to risk him in a game of this magnitude."

Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad is already reeling from the bitter row over Rio Ferdinand's exclusion for failing to take a drugs test. The players last night withdrew their threat to strike in support of the Manchester United defender, but news of Owen's absence will do little to lift the mood in the camp.

The 23-year-old has been a key player for Eriksson, having scored 16 goals in 29 games since the Swede took charge of the national team in January 2001.

Eriksson, who has never won a game without Owen in the side, must now choose between Darius Vassell, Wayne Rooney, James Beattie and Emile Heskey.

Owen's chances had been rated as 50-50 earlier in the week but he has not been able to participate in a single training session at the pre-match get-together in St Albans.

He was wearing flipflops and still being transported around the London Colney training ground on a tractor two days ago.

Scans following his awkward fall at Anfield last Saturday revealed he had split the membrane between his fibula and tibia. Although it normally takes four to five weeks to fully recover from such an injury, there were hopes that Owen's problem was not too serious and he joined up with the rest of the squad last Sunday.

However, despite the frantic efforts of the England medical staff, it was decided he would not travel with the squad to Istanbul later this afternoon.

David Beckham, who suffered a dead leg in Real Madrid's Primera Liga clash with Espanyol, has been making good progress and is expected to be fit.

Chelsea centre-half John Terry is likely to partner Arsenal's Sol Campbell in central defence in the absence of Ferdinand.