PREVIEW-Soccer-Owen begins Stoke career against champions City

LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - 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 modest Stoke City.

Just days after his former England colleagues struggled in a

1-1 draw against Ukraine, Owen, who scored 40 international

goals while representing some of Europe's most illustrious

clubs, could make his Stoke debut against Manchester City.

In his pomp, Owen would have been just the man to find a

breakthrough at Wembley, but injuries and a waning of his powers

have kept him out of England consideration, and he has not

represented his country since 2008.

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 represented 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

(1400), 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 at halftime in the Netherlands' 4-1

win over Hungary on Tuesday.

United could also be without playmaker Shinji Kagawa, who

was forced out of Japan's 1-0 win over Iraq on Tuesday with a

back problem.

ATTACKING FRAILTIES

United's attacking frailties, however, are less pronounced

than Van Persie's former club Arsenal, who only broke their

Premier League scoring duck in their third game, and face

Southampton at home on Saturday (1400).

Arsenal's close-season replacement for Van Persie, Olivier

Giroud, has so far failed to find the net.

"I've been freezing up a little bit just when I've been

about to pull the trigger and that's exactly what happened in my

first few matches for France," Giroud told FIFA's website

(www.fifa.com).

The biggest blow for Arsenal could be the absence of

midfielder Abou Diaby, who picked up a hip injury playing for

France against Finland.

Diaby was imperious against Liverpool and rekindled memories

of former terrace hero Patrick Vieira with his surging forward

runs, but manager Arsene Wenger told French TV he has only a

small chance of playing on Saturday.

Chelsea captain John Terry could return from injury to play

against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road (1400), the first

time he and Anton Ferdinand will have faced each other since

Terry was found not guilty in court of racially abusing the QPR

defender during the corresponding fixture last season.

Terry, who denied the charge, is battling an ankle injury he

picked up on England duty last week. Fellow Chelsea defender

Ashley Cole is also suffering from an ankle problem.

(Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Stephen Wood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/preview-soccer-owen-begins-stoke-career-against-champions-005956049--sow.html

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