Michael Owen admits that, two months into his latest comeback from injury, twists and turns while sprinting still bring him out in a cold sweat.

It is the legacy of his year-long fight against hamstring trouble. Hard as he tries, he cannot escape the nagging fear that each sudden change of direction could be accompanied by an all-too-familiar shooting pain in his right leg.

The only words of concession to the inevitable aftereffects of a protracted battle for fitness came after the recent home win over Tottenham when he said: 'Running in a straight line is no trouble and I can take the physical buffeting.

'That does not place any strain on my hamstrings. The only time I might feel a reaction is when I try and twist round defenders.'

Sadly for the 20-year-old striker, there are likely to be plenty more twists and turns as the plot thickens over Gerard Houllier's attempt to salvage a Champions League place for faltering Liverpool and England coach Kevin Keegan's favoured line-up for Euro 2000.

In each case, the outcome could exceed any suffering inflicted by his suspect hamstring muscles.

Galling as it may be for Owen, there is a growing belief that he will lose his place to Robbie Fowler against Southampton on Sunday.

More pertinently, there is every indication that Liverpool's other injury-plagued striker will seize his opportunity with such relish that the change in personnel may be repeated at international level.

Keegan would not take much convincing. He has overlooked Fowler's months of inactivity following two ankle operations and declared that a place in next month's European Championship Finals would be kept open until the last moment.

It was easy to see why, as a rejuvenated Fowler came on as a 53rd-minute substitute in Liverpool's shock 2-0 home defeat by Leicester on Wednesday and immediately provided a cutting edge that had been absent.

The awareness, speed of thought and eye for goal missing from Owen's game were suddenly in plentiful supply from his 25-year-old replacement. The more Fowler buzzed round Leicester's goal and unhinged a previously impenetrable defence with his movement and positioning, the greater the shadow which loomed over Owen's prospects of partnering Alan Shearer in Holland and Belgium.

If Owen is left on the fringes for Liverpool and England in the coming weeks, it will confirm the suspicions that arose after he hobbled off against Middlesbrough in January.

When Soccernet suggested that resting him until the start of next season might be the only genuine cure and Houllier endorsed it by ruling out any further risks, it was met with scorn in some quarters.

In retrospect, perhaps the doubters might concede that, after seeing only the briefest glimpses of Owen's true form over the past two months, a long-term prognosis might have been the best way of dealing with a problem which refuses to go away.

Few can question that of the two, Fowler is more adept at using both feet, has a distinct edge in the air and is superior in front of goal.

Owen's claim to world-class status relies on electrifying pace and a capacity for spectacular solo goals when they matter most, qualities which appear to have diminished during 13 months of being haunted by the recurring nightmare of hamstring muscles that could betray him at any moment.

Compare the Owen of today with the pre-hamstring injury version, who terrorised defences and emerged from the last World Cup Finals with a reputation as lofty as Paul Gascoigne's eight years earlier.

Then, he glided on to the pitch and left defenders in his slipstream - remember how he reduced Argentina's defence to rubble - apparently without a care in the world.

Now he must go through a rigorous pre-match ritual of stretching exercises and, by his own admission, cannot exorcise the demons of doubt about avoiding further painful twinges.

Throughout Owen's arduous route back to fitness, Houllier has hinted that any obstacles would be psychological rather than physical.

'Medically, Michael is fit,' he said. 'I am confident he will regain his best form but, as you would expect with such a lengthy healing process, it is going to take time.

'It is important everyone remains patient. If I feel he'd benefit from a rest, then that is what he will have.'

Keegan has not abandoned his vision of reviving the Shearer-Owen double act from France 98 but must be as concerned as Houllier over a comeback that has failed to scale the heights of old.

If Owen is forced to sit out Liverpool's final two matches and accept a bit-part for England this summer, it can only heighten his anxiety and add weight to the argument that he might have been better off pacing his recovery and learning how to lighten the load on his right thigh.

Houllier can only hope such a scenario would be handled with the same new-found maturity that has hastened Fowler's return.

Judging by his track record to date, Fowler could normally be expected to tackle a lay-off of such magnitude in two stages. Taking months to be deemed medically fit and almost as long to be passed physically able.

That he could spring into action, after being dogged by ankle trouble since last September, and look as lean and sharp as ever speaks volumes for the way Houllier's influence has galvanised his growing-up process.

Handing Fowler the vice-captaincy last summer was a challenge to show he could handle responsibility and eradicate the antics, in matches against Everton and Chelsea last season, that twice landed him in trouble with the footballing authorities.

It has proved a psychological masterstroke. Fowler usually returns from an injury absence looking sluggish and out of shape, and few gave him a chance of beating the deadline for Euro 2000 after he underwent further surgery on his ankle earlier this season.

A punishing fitness regime has paid dividends, though, and pushed him to the forefront of Houllier's thoughts as he attempts to make up the ground Liverpool lost to Leeds on Wednesday in the race to secure that coveted Champions League place.

Tipped to be in the starting line-up alongside Emile Heskey against Southampton at Anfield on Sunday and at Bradford on the final day of the season a week later, Fowler said: 'This season has been a nightmare for me but there is no point in dwelling on that.

'All that matters is that there are still a couple of games left to try to get my match fitness back to where it should be. Then, hopefully, I can force my way into the England squad for the European Championships. I'm confident I will be firing on all cylinders again next season but there is still plenty to play for over the next few weeks.'