LONDON: Michael Owen used to terrify international defenders and made scoring look easy but the extent to which his career has gone off the boil will be brought into focus on Saturday when he lines up for Stoke.
City are aiming to extend their unbeaten start to their Premier League title defence, though next Tuesday’s Champions League match against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu could prove a distraction.
Owen will hope to forge a traditional little-and-large partnership with Peter Crouch, who scored a wonder goal against City in the corresponding fixture last season and linked up with Owen to good effect when they played for England.
Crouch this week backed Owen, who counts Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United among his former clubs, to force his way back into the international reckoning.
“If he’s playing regularly for Stoke and scoring in the Premier League, I don’t see why he can’t force his way into the England set-up,” Crouch said.
City’s Manchester neighbours United face Wigan Athletic, but summer signing Robin van Persie, whose hat-trick rescued his team against Southampton in their previous outing, is an injury doubt.
With Wayne Rooney already ruled out, United might turn to Danny Welbeck to lead the line after van Persie suffered a thigh injury and was substituted in the Netherlands’ 4-1 win over Hungary on Tuesday.
United could also be without Shinji Kagawa, who was forced out of Japan’s win over Iraq on Tuesday with a back problem.
United’s frailties, however, are less pronounced than Van Persie’s former club Arsenal, who could be without Abou Diaby, who picked up a hip injury playing for France against Finland. (Reuters)