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Manchester United recruit Michael Owen, scorer of the club's first goal during the 3-3 tie with CSKA Moscow on Tuesday evening in the Champions League, admits that United's multiple concession of goals was not "ideal" preparation for the Sunday showdown with Premier League leaders Chelsea.
However, the former Real Madrid and Liverpool forward stressed that the shape of United's line-up would be different, as Sir Alex Ferguson will likely rotate the first XI slightly.
"I wouldn’t have thought it [the 3-3 draw] would have much bearing [on the weekend] to be honest," Owen is reported to have told the press on Thursday.
"There’s a couple of players that didn’t play that no doubt will play on Sunday. Wayne [Rooney] was left on the bench because of events off the pitch as well so I would think it would be a slightly different team anyway but you always want to win games, you always want to keep clean sheets and score a few goals.
"It wasn’t ideal, but it was a cracking game of football for the purist I suppose."
Meanwhile, on the international scene, Owen may be witness to a surprise call-up due to the respective injuries sustained by Fabio Capello's regular squad players Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole.
"I don’t think about what he’s [Capello] thinking in many ways. I don’t think there are any secrets about my game.
"Everyone can see what I’ve done over a period of time, they know what type of player I am and other things I’m not so good at, but you also notice things that I would be good at, so I’m not going to start a campaign on if Michael Owen shouldn’t be in the England team or should be this or that.
"I think everyone knows so I’d prefer other people to decide obviously, but other people to talk about the merits of whether I should or shouldn’t rather than myself because I’ve never been one to blow my own trumpet."
Alan Dawson, Goal.com
