VIENNA, AUSTRIA (Reuters)

England secured a straightforward 1-0 friendly win over Euro 2008 co-hosts Austria yesterday but suffered the more significant loss of Michael Owen to injury.

Already without Wayne Rooney for Wednesday's potentially decisive Euro 2008 Group E qualifier against Croatia, England saw striker Owen leave the pitch in Vienna after 34 minutes.

Manager Steve McClaren later confirmed that Owen had been ruled out of the match at Wembley.

"He won't be fit for Wednesday," McClaren told a post-match news conference. "It was a strange one, it was his standing foot. He's pulled his thigh and unfortunately he's out.

"That's football but we do seem to be plagued with injuries at the present moment and for what I believe will be our biggest game for quite some while we're going in without two centre halves and two centre forwards who we would pick."

England's problems at the back revolve around injured captain John Terry and the suspended Rio Ferdinand.