Pearce: "The thing you have got to bear in mind with Glenn (Roeder) is that he has had a hell of a lot of injuries this year - probably more than any other club in the Premier League.
"He has had a lot of games to take on, let alone with the injury problems they have had. When you invest your money in the likes of Michael Owen and lose him for the season, it is a big blow for the football club."Steven Gerrard has admitted England are missing long-term injury victim Michael Owen and is keen to see the Newcastle striker return to the international fold. Owen is only a week or so away from returning to full training with Newcastle and reports suggest he could play some part in the home Premiership clash with Chelsea on April 22.
If Owen proves his fitness, he could come into contention for the away qualifier with Estonia on June 6.
Gerrard: "We are missing Michael at the moment. It will be great when he is back.
"Michael is a fantastic goalscorer and he has got a great record at this level. Any team that has got Michael Owen fit and ready, is going to be stronger. His record for England over many years has been fantastic and how many times has he come up with the crucial goal?
"We have missed him, of course we have.
"We know we've got to look at the bigger picture and we are confident we can be in the 2008 tournament. These games with England are massive and, because we haven't had good results recently before Wednesday, there is a bit more added pressure and a bit more fear of losing.
"But it is up to us to stand up and be counted and we are optimistic of coming through the group successfully."