Owen set for England start

Owen, who has already bagged nineteen goals for his country, will play the first 45 minutes of the clash. It is widely thought that he will be replaced at half-time by Everton's Wayne Rooney.

The decision to start with the beleaguered striker is a sign of Eriksson's staunch faith in his most prolific forward.

Eriksson said: "I am not worried about Michael's form and he will play the first 45 minutes on Wednesday. I watched the first half of the Middlesbrough game on television and thought he played well. He hasn't been scoring goals lately but they will come."