Roeder: "Owen And Dyer Not In My Thoughts"

Last updated : 19 August 2006 By Footy Mad - Editor





The 26-year-old Owen has been given a date for the second part of the procedure in which renowned specialist Dr Richard Steadman will complete the repair to his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Roeder is desperate to have his £17million signing back as soon as possible, but has had to resign himself for a long wait, and is even facing up to the prospect of being without him for the entire campaign.

Roeder: "We are not putting any dates on when the next operation is, we are not making that public. Michael knows now when the next operation will be, but we do not feel it is necessary to go public on that yet. And we do not feel it is necessary to guess - and that is all it would be, it would be an educated guess - when he plays again.

"What is the point of doing that, because if he does not make that date, as we have seen before, all hell is let loose because he's missed a target and (people would be wondering) what is wrong. All we know is, everyone knows it is a long-term injury.

"Whether it is Michael Owen or whether it is Kieron Dyer, they are not available for the next match, so they are not really in my mind, to be honest. How can they be?"