Injury curse strikes again as Owen is ruled out of Croatia clash

England are already without injury victims John Terry and Wayne Rooney and the suspended Rio Ferdinand for the clash at Wembley that could decide Steve McClaren's future.

Agony for Owen: The England striker limps off in Vienna

Peter Crouch's header on the stroke of half-time gave England victory over Austria — joint-hosts of Euro 2008 with Switzerland — but Owen's injury is another shocking blow to the country's qualification hopes.

The Newcastle striker hobbled off in the 34th minute. He will undergo a scan today but there are fears that he will be out for up to a month.

England's hopes of qualifying for next summer's finals are already hanging by a thread, but Owen's absence from Wednesday's clash is a significant blow. The players flew back last night and will not meet up at their Hertfordshire hotel until tomorrow evening to prepare for their final qualifier.

By then, however, if Russia have won in Israel, England could be preparing to miss out on their first major tournament since Graham Taylor failed to take the country to the 1994 World Cup in America — and McClaren's term as national coach would be effectively over.

McClaren said: 'It's a massive blow to lose Michael. Injuries are part of football but I believe we will need to win on Wednesday to qualify and we will go into the game without our two centre halves and two centre forwards.

'But I have every confidence that we have enough in that dressing room. Most of all we want to do it for the fans. What other nation could take 4,000 people to a friendly in Austria? Only England — and it would be nice to qualify for them.

'It's not over yet. Russia and Croatia still have difficult games and we just have to hope that we will get another chance. It has happened in the past and it will happen again.

'Speculation about my job has not affected me because it's something we can't control. All we can control is our own dressing room. We have had three good days working together and we have won a game.

'It's all about the result in Tel Aviv and then us doing the job if needs be.'

England midfielder Frank Lampard added: 'Michael being out is a huge blow. Hopefully things will go our way in Israel and we will have an opportunity, and we all know that Michael always gets goals in big games.

'But we have got other forwards. Peter Crouch showed what he can do tonight and Jermain Defoe was sharp, too, and we'll have to get on with it and hope we have something to play for still.'

McClaren is already short of strikers, however, and he may be forced to pair Crouch, who scored his 13th goal in 24 appearances for the national side, with Defoe.

Crouch impressed and he will definitely start on Wednesday, but his partner is a trickier choice.

Defoe, short of match practice after spending the last 18 months on the bench at Tottenham, was ineffectual as Owen's replacement.

Alan Smith replaced Crouch late in the second half, but he has been operating in midfield for his club and did not look like the answer.

David Beckham, who won his 98th cap, set up Crouch's 44th-minute goal with a trademark corner, but it was not one of his better performances in an England shirt.