Owen to miss Brazil unless he can pass the Grip fitness test

Fowler ponders chance to take over 1966 mantle of Hurst as concern grows over Liverpool striker's ability to line up against Brazil

It was revealed yesterday that the verdict on Michael Owen's fitness to lead England's attack against Brazil in Friday's World Cup quarter-final will be taken out of the striker's hands.

While England hope Owen will take some part in training today, there is concern over the severity of the groin strain he suffered during Saturday's second-round victory over Denmark. Yesterday he not only missed training and a scheduled press conference he was also unable to attend a planned visit to a local school.

Tord Grip, Sven Goran Eriksson's assistant, said the medical staff believed Owen would be fit but Grip's own demeanour suggested he was less certain. "It is too early to know. I have not been able to see him on the pitch," Grip said. "He needs to be in training on Thursday at least."

Grip said Owen would have to be "100 per cent fit" to be included. He then indicated the coaching and medical staff would be the arbiters, not the player. Earlier in this World Cup Jason McAteer admitted he lied to Mick McCarthy, the Republic of Ireland manager, when he said he was fit for the opening match against Cameroon. McAteer was substituted and dropped for the next tie.

Reminded of this Grip looked back to 1990 and West Germany's semi-final with England. "There were a couple of players [these are believed to be Pierre Littbarski and either Karlheinz Riedle or Uwe Bein] who Franz Beckenbauer, the coach, thought were not 100 per cent fit. He talked to them and they said they were fit. He then put pressure on them and they finally admitted they were not. They said 'we want to play in the final'. He said 'we won't get to the final if you play when you are not fit'. There is a responsibility you have to put on the players. They have to be honest. At this stage of a World Cup a player wants to play. To meet Brazil in the World Cup is something every player looks forward to."

Grip added: "The medical staff have not been wrong so far but if he cannot play then somebody else will. We have had several injuries in this World Cup but the players who have replaced them have all done well."

While every England fan would want Owen to play in Shizuoka there is an encouraging precedent. In 1966 Jimmy Greaves, like Owen the most prolific finisher of his generation, was injured ahead of the quarter-final against Argentina. A converted wing-half named Geoff Hurst came in. His header divided the teams in that game and, after making the second goal against Portugal in the next, he held off the challenge of a recovered Greaves to make history in the final. No wonder Owen is desperate to be fit.

Robbie Fowler, a candidate to replace Owen if necessary, is well aware of the history. He said: "Geoff Hurst was not going to play any games, then Greaves got injured, Hurst came in, and the rest is history. I don't want anyone to get injured but if I am picked I will do my job."

Fowler's chances were enhanced when Darius Vassell, Owen's understudy, missed training because of a sore back. Another, imaginative alternative, would be to play Kieron Dyer off Emile Heskey. At Newcastle Dyer has more often been used behind two strikers but it is a role he played once, with success, at White Hart Lane. Eriksson has always maintained Dyer could play an influential part in this World Cup and Grip said: "He could play that position".

Dyer's pace is his ace, with Fowler it is his positioning and goal-poaching instinct. The Leeds striker added: "Brazil's defenders do give you a lot of space and hopefully we will capitalise on that. All through the tournament they have been a bit cavalier; they have scored a few and conceded a few. We will cause them trouble, especially at set-pieces.

"It's important not to be overawed," he added. "Teams have been scared of them because of their reputation. We won't be. Because of what we have achieved they will be scared of us. We are confident we can give them a good game and hopefully send them home. Now that very good sides like Argentina and France are out the World Cup is there for the taking. If we can get past Brazil there is nothing we can't do."