Owen joins Gerrard on Eriksson injured list

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Manchester United's crisis of confidence may be centre stage this week but Liverpool also have problems. Steven Gerrard was sent home yesterday with a "slight groin discomfort" and Michael Owen is expected to withdraw today. The striker, who has scored 16 goals in 15 games this season, may have suffered a recurrence of the hamstring trouble which recently kept him out for a month.

Owen noticed a problem during Liverpool's win over Manchester United on Sunday and, despite being treated by England's medical staff, has yet to shake it off. With Liverpool having two critical Champions' League fixtures coming up, against Barcelona and Roma, and England's match at Old Trafford only a friendly he is not expected to be risked.

The same thinking was behind Gerrard's release. "We didn't want to take chances with him," said an FA spokesman. He added: "Michael is undergoing treatment and will be re-assessed in the morning."

The rest of the squad spent yesterday undergoing physiological tests at Manchester United's Carrington complex with an emphasis on performance in hot conditions. The World Cup is expected to be played in extremes of heat and humidity and, as David Beckham said yesterday, "that is something we will have to be prepared for".

Beckham stressed England were anxious to improve on the poor performance against Greece last month. He recalled: "It was an amazing day. Having since seen the German game [against Finland] I think for us to [qualify] in injury-time was just fate. But while everyone was lifted by the result we didn't play well. We realise that. Everything needs to improve.

"It would be nice to play every game like the German game – that was a result which went down in history. But at the moment the real England is somewhere between the two.

"I want us to impress the world," added the England captain. "I don't want us to go to the World Cup as underdogs. People say it is too early for us to do well in a big tournament but it is time England started winning things."

"We have the belief. Argentina and France are big threats but, if I could have a dream final, it would be us against Brazil." First Brazil, beaten by Bolivia on Tuesday, have to qualify. England, thanks to Beckham, have done that much already.