Owen not worried about a team place

Nuremberg (Germany): England striker Michael Owen does not fear being axed by coach Sven-Goran Eriksson after a lackluster start to his World Cup campaign.

Owen was substituted early in the second-half of England's Group B victories over Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago, making way for a fit-again Wayne Rooney in Thursday's 2-0 win over the Caribbean islanders.

Asked if he was worried about losing his place in the side, Owen said: "No. What will be will be. If I do not play, I do not play.”

"I am reasonably pleased with my form, you always want to score and play well, I am no different to anyone else."

Owen is England's senior striker at the finals with Peter Crouch, Rooney and Theo Walcott experiencing their first World Cup.

He has suffered an injury-hit year, making a belated return to action for his club side Newcastle United at the backend of the Premier League season after breaking a bone in his foot on December 31.

He featured in England's warm-up matches, scoring in the 6-0 demolition of Jamaica - his first goal of the year - and declared himself fully fit for the finals.

But against Paraguay and Trinidad Owen appeared a forlorn figure, shackled well by both defences and spurning the few chances that came his way.

Strike partner Crouch, guilty of a bad miss in the first half in Nuremberg, headed the first goal against Trinidad with midfielder Steven Gerrard thumping home a fine second to hand England a flattering victory.

"I am not worried about scoring goals, I have done that since I was born, I am not disappointed with the way I played," added the striker, who is playing at his third World Cup.

"I had one good chance with my head which I will probably kick myself for not scoring, apart from that it was difficult for everyone, not just me."

"I am not giving the ball away much, I am making runs and feeling sharp."

Owen concedes neither he nor the team are firing on all cylinders yet.

"It is always hard playing a side like Trinidad & Tobago, all credit to them; they played very well and they can be very proud.

"Smaller countries tend to make it hard for you. We tend to play our best stuff against decent sides that fancy themselves against us and we fancy ourselves against them.

"We expect no easy games. Hopefully, the further we go the better we will play and raise our game."