England have been set the daunting challenge of proving that crocked Michael Owen is replaceable for tomorrow's vital Euro 2004 qualifier in Turkey.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's worst fears were confirmed when, just before the squad departed for Istanbul, Owen was ruled out with the leg injury sustained against Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday.

Eriksson had already called up Aston Villa's Darius Vassell - the nearest England have to an Owen clone in terms of his sheer pace - after consulting with the player and the England medical staff on Tuesday.

But making contingency plans and being able to find a requisite formula to combat the loss of Owen are different matters.

The statistics indicate it will be a gargantuan task. When Owen plays, England seldom lose. When he is absent, they rarely win.

Since Alan Shearer called time on his international career in the summer of 2000, England have failed to come out on top in any match where Owen has not been available. Five internationals have produced the unimpressive figures of four defeats and a solitary draw.

Owen has contributed 13 goals in 18 competitive games under Eriksson and his strike against Liechtenstein last month took him to joint 11th in the all-time England goal-scoring charts and level on 24 with Sir Geoff Hurst.

The worry for Eriksson is who can conjure up the necessary goal-power now that Owen is laid up and the signs are not encouraging.

Emile Heskey looks certain to play as the remaining experienced striker but, for all his unselfish work which earns him constant praise from his team-mates, he has hit the target only five times in 36 internationals.

In his defence Heskey has sometimes been played out of position on the left of midfield but he has never been an out-and-out goalscorer, even stretching back to his Leicester City days.

Vassell is the obvious replacement for Owen if Eriksson wants to play a similar type of player and he impressed against Turkey at Sunderland's Stadium Of Light when he scored the opening goal after coming on for the injured Owen.

But the Aston Villa player is short of match fitness and, by his own admission, he has not been at his best this season.

It was only last Sunday that Vassell completed 90 minutes for the first time in nearly two months after a minor groin operation.

Wayne Rooney looks nailed-on to be Heskey's partner up front, despite being so effective in the 'hole' role in the second half in Macedonia and from the start against Liechtenstein at Old Trafford when he became England's youngest goal-scorer.

He plays with the fearlessness of youth, but this is a massive task for a 17-year-old who has had question marks placed against his temperament at club level after five bookings this season have already landed him a suspension.

The Turks are certain to try to exploit this apparent weakness and, although Rooney's disciplinary record at international level has been unblemished, Eriksson is to speak to the Everton youngster about the need to keep cool.

James Beattie is unproven at senior international level, which leaves Paul Scholes as the main alternative to Owen in having a proven goal record for England.

But 13 goals in 35 internationals has stretched to 13 in 58 and it is 28 months since Scholes' last goal against Greece in Athens in a World Cup qualifier.

In theory England do not have to score to seal a place in next summer's finals as a draw will prove sufficient, but their defence has looked suspect in recent matches and they will be without Rio Ferdinand after his failure to undergo a routine drugs test.

England will just be hoping that history can repeat itself in terms of the last time they went into a final group qualifier without their main striker needing just a draw.

That was in October 1997 when England, lacking Alan Shearer, held Italy to a goalless draw in Rome to reach the following year's World Cup finals.

* David Platt remains confident England will qualify for the European Championship finals - even without the ''virtually irreplaceable'' Michael Owen.

Under-21 coach Platt, whose own side face their Turkish counterparts at Besiktas' Inonu Stadium today, said: ''Michael's pace frightens players, and he also the desire to win matches and to be the best when he goes out onto a pitch.

"It's going to be difficult for anybody to replace Michael, but Sven has Emile Heskey, James Beattie, Wayne Rooney and Darius Vassell to pick from and whichever two he picks I'm sure will be equipped to do the job. I think we are strong enough to get a result and to qualify."

Platt appreciates Turkey are also a far more competent side than in the days when he played and scored in a 2-0 victory in Istanbul a decade ago