Michael Owen flies to the USA today to have an operation on the anterior cruciate ligament that he ruptured against Sweden during his disastrous World Cup. He is travelling to Colorado to be operated later on in the week by renowned knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman, whose previous patients include a number of illustrious footballers including Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistlerooy and Alan Shearer as well as the vice-president Dick Cheney! 

The 26-year-old seemed in optimistic mood before surgery, describing the operation as something that 'needs to be done' and a 'chink of light' for him. Owen has already had one operation since his agonizing injury in the summer, that repaired cartilage damage in the same knee in July. 

All those in England and particularly those in the North East will be hoping that this operation will help to end the striker's injury nightmare that began shortly after he joined the Magpies for £17 million last year and has resulted in only 11 Newcastle appearances. Having joined the recent trend of breaking metatarsals, he returned only in time to play one game for the club before the World Cup and his latest injury promises to keep him out for the large part of the coming season. 

He told the club's official website, www.nufc.co.uk: "I have been basically biding my time since the first operation to prepare for this one and once it is out of the way, I can get on with the rehabilitation." Owen's absence leaves a hole in the Magpies' striking options, which were already without the services of the irreplaceable Alan Shearer. Glen Roeder went some way to solving this with the purchase of Obafemi Martins and the loan of Giuseppe Rossi and only missing out on Mark Viduka on the last day of the transfer window, but fans of the club will hope that Owen comes true on his promise to be 'as good as ever' on his return.