The Return of the Michael Owen

It’s been almost a year since Michael Owen’s anterior cruciate ligament went kaboom in Germany, and the poor fella had to literally crawl to the side of the pitch on his hands and knees. There’s been controversy, with Newcastle demanding the FA contribute to the whopping check they write to their injured striker every week. There’s been frustration for Newcastle fans, only partially alleviated by Obafemi Martins. And it’s been a disaster for England, with the Three Lions having trouble finding the back of the net in his absence.

But tomorrow night Owen could be back playing first team football in a Newcastle shirt. He’s played – and scored – for the reserve team, and now Glenn Roeder’s saying “Don’t be surprised if both Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi feature at Reading on Monday night.”

Spare a thought for Ameobi too. Foluwashola (that’s his full first name you know) notched 5 goals in 13 games at the start of this season and was starting to look a proper Premiership player, until his long-delayed hip surgery finally became a necessity. But what Newcastle fans will be really excited about (and who can blame them?) is the potential of an Obafemi Martins-Michael Owen pace combo up front. Can you imagine?

I’m guessing Owen won’t start. He might just play for a few minutes. It might only be one minute. But after the long, long wait it will be fantastic to see the guy back playing football.

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Category: English Premier League, World Football