Wednesday, June 21 2006 16:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Cologne: The potentially serious injury to striker Michael Owen dampened Sven-Goran Eriksson's mood late Tuesday after seeing his side finish top of Group B thanks to a 2-2 draw with Sweden in Cologne.

The result was exactly what England needed to avoid hosts Germany in the round of 16, with Eriksson's side now facing Ecuador instead. But the sight of Owen crumpling to the ground in agony after just a minute of play and being stretchered from the ground marred the evening's proceedings.

The Newcastle United striker had only recently come back after missing most of the season with a broken foot but now seems certain to be out of action for another prolonged period.

"It doesn't look good at all," said Eriksson, who will learn the full extent of the injury when Owen goes for a scan Wednesday.

With Owen almost certainly out of the rest of the tournament, England's World Cup hopes now rest even more firmly on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney.

The Manchester United striker came on as a second-half substitute against Trinidad & Tobago but started against Sweden, his first game since breaking the fourth metatarsal in his right foot at the end of April.

Even so, the 20-year-old was livid at being substituted midway through the second half, hitting the dugout and flinging his boots to the ground.

"I think he was more upset with himself that he didn't play as well as he wanted," said Eriksson, who in light of the injury to Owen will now have to protect his star asset more than ever.

"I took him off because you can't risk him playing too much, too early," said Eriksson, who only has two other strikers in his squad, teenager Theo Walcott and Peter Crouch, who is one yellow card away from suspension. But it is not only up front that Eriksson has concerns. Sweden got both their goals from set pieces and also hit the English woodwork twice in what was England's worst defensive performance to date.

"We (normally) concede very little on set pieces but today two goals," said a disappointed Eriksson after seeing Sweden continue their remarkable unbeaten record against England, stretching back to May 1968.