Chapter 64

Johnsen came on to replace Owen, who had suffered a fractured calf. At this moment, all the fans in the stadium stood up, watching Owen leave the field with prolonged applause, giving him their most sincere encouragement. They knew that it would be a long time before they could see Owen's lightning-fast figure on the pitch again.

"Huh? What's happening on the sidelines? The referee has come to the touchline and shown another red card! Let's look at the replay, oh... God, when Li Tie fouled and was penalized with a penalty kick, Moyes resorted to the same trick again, kicking his water bottle away! It seems this Scottish manager has a grudge against mineral water bottles..."

After dealing with the injured Owen, the referee came to the touchline, listened to the advice of the fourth official, and without hesitation, showed Moyes a second yellow card, which turned into a red card, sending Moyes to the stands!

Chelsea's first-choice penalty taker, Petr Cech, stood at the penalty spot. Facing the moment of scoring, his face showed no joy, but rather a look of worry, clearly still concerned about Owen's injury.

Lampard sighed, came to Cech's side, patted his shoulder, and encouraged him, "Mate, don't worry, Michael will bounce back. Focus on taking the penalty."

Cech nodded solemnly, began his run-up, feinted to deceive the opposing goalkeeper, and easily scored the penalty.

"The ball is in! After a half-hour of relentless attack, Chelsea finally scored the first goal of the match, 1-0. Chelsea took the lead without any doubt. However, the players on the field were not in high spirits, and no one celebrated the goal. They silently ran to the center circle, showing that Owen's serious injury and departure had a significant impact on the Chelsea players."

The CCTV commentator, Liu Jianhong, sighed deeply, "It takes a hundred days to recover from a serious injury. By the time Owen returns to the pitch, it will be 2005. We cannot blame Li Tie, but I hope all Chinese players abroad will take this as a lesson. After all, they represent the image of Chinese football. To make the world recognize Chinese football, overseas players must set an example for our Chinese Super League players."

Everton was down to ten men, and their manager was sent to the stands. The few fans in the stadium had no mood to cheer, and with the score behind, they could no longer organize effective attacks.

The game entered Chelsea's rhythm comprehensively. Although Chelsea's attacks were fierce and continuous, the players' minds were not fully focused on the pitch. With the lead, they inevitably became distracted. Kaká, Rooney, Joe Cole, Terry, and Ramos all failed to score. However, the substitute Goodjohnson, eager to impress, seized two excellent scoring opportunities and scored twice.

At 1:05 AM on November 7th, the referee finally blew the final whistle. Jowan Xian led the players around the pitch to thank the fans who had come to watch, then left the stadium alone, not attending the post-match press conference.

However, in the mixed zone, he was intercepted by a journalist. Looking up, he saw a flat-headed young man from The Times. Jowan Xian had a good impression of him and sighed, "Owen's injury is severe. The club will certainly get the best experts to operate on him, and I can guarantee that when he returns from his injury, he will still be at his peak!"

The journalist also sighed and comforted him, "We all believe that Owen will return to his peak after recovery, just like Ruud van Nistelrooy, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and, after several months of recovery in the United States, returned to the pitch as one of the best forwards in Europe."

Jowan Xian nodded, "If there are no unforeseen circumstances, Owen will definitely go to the United States for recovery, and the club will provide him with the best recovery environment."

The journalist then asked, "Can you talk about your thoughts on Li Tie?"

Jowan Xian frowned and thought for a moment. Li Tie and Sun Jihai were the two best Chinese players abroad at the time,寄托了所有中国球迷和中国足协的期望，被当作宝贝一样对待。类似的还有NBA的姚明，加盟火箭的第一个赛季，就被无数的中国球迷选为全联盟的票王，力压大中锋奥尼尔成为全明星赛上的西部首发中锋，一时间却沦为了全美媒体的笑柄。

Although they were of the same race, Jowan Xian definitely had some dissatisfaction with Li Tie, but considering the huge Chinese market, he had to tough it out and said, "Accidents on the pitch are inevitable, especially since he has been out of action for a long time. On the pitch, his movements may become distorted. I am curious why, with so few opportunities to play in the past two seasons, Moyes would let him participate in such an important match, which is confusing."

The journalist's eyes lit up, sensing something, and said excitedly, "Mr. Jowan Xian, do you mean... the mastermind behind this tragedy... is Everton's manager, Moyes?"

Jowan Xian shrugged, "Perhaps it was unintentional, but Li Tie, like Owen, is a victim of this incident! Owen suffered physical injuries, while Li Tie suffered a double blow to his conscience and psyche. Of course, where there are victims... there must be perpetrators!"

The flat-headed journalist felt a surge of excitement at these words. This was definitely a key point for sensationalism! He shook hands with Jowan Xian gratefully and said, "Thank you for accepting my interview today, I am very grateful!"

Seeing Jowan Xian leave in black clothes, black pants, and black sunglasses, he felt incredibly excited. It seemed that building a good relationship with this "Big Cannon" Jowan would bring tremendous benefits! Suddenly, he laughed to himself, finding that Jowan Xian looked more and more like a fully equipped special forces soldier...

Jowan Xian went to the Royal Berkshire Hospital immediately to visit Owen. At this time, the club's management had already gathered in this Chelsea-affiliated hospital, and even the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, was pacing worriedly in the corridor.

Seeing Jowan Xian arrive, the club's management officials all stood up from their seats, as if welcoming a leader. Abramovich sighed and shook his head at Jowan Xian.

"How is he?" Jowan Xian asked anxiously.

CEO Peter Kenyon's face was stern as he said, "The orthopedic experts are discussing the plan. They will likely perform a simple treatment here and send Owen to the United States for final treatment."

Jowan Xian nodded, "That's best. Give him a relaxed environment so he can fully focus on his recovery."

After a half-hour of anxious waiting, the operating room door finally opened, and everyone saw Owen, his face pale. Seeing the club's management and the head coach waiting anxiously, Owen was moved to tears, blinking to hide his embarrassment, and even managed a smile, "Boss, didn't you say football should be played with a smile? Why do you look so bad?"

Hearing this, Jowan Xian almost shed a tear. He came to Owen's side, lightly touched the cast on his left leg, and smiled, "Go to the United States and recover well. I still need you for the Champions League semi-finals and finals!"

Owen's eyes lit up, and he said in surprise, "Boss, you... will you still give me a starting position when I recover?"

"Of course!" Jowan Xian said matter-of-factly, "I bought you from Liverpool to play as a starter. If you want to sit on the bench and slack off, that's not going to happen!"

Owen's face darkened, glancing at the club's owner, Abramovich, and said softly, "I've only been here for three months and haven't won a single title. How about... I don't take my salary during my recovery period?"

Abramovich shook his head, "That's out of the question! You were injured while playing for the club, and I guarantee you will receive your full salary without any deductions!"

Owen's injury, after an initial diagnosis, would require a recovery period of 4-5 months, and if the injury was not optimistic, it could take up to six months. He was definitely out for the League Cup final in February, but there was a good chance he could participate in the FA Cup and Champions League finals in May.

Not long after, assistant coach André Villas-Boas brought the players to the hospital to visit Owen. The dozens of concerned eyes and words of comfort moved Owen deeply, making him feel a sense of warmth and belonging in the club for the first time.

When everyone left the Royal Berkshire Hospital, it was already dawn. Abramovich arranged his private jet to send Owen directly to the United States, and Jowan Xian announced a day off for the entire team to rest and prepare for the League Cup fourth-round match in three days.

That match, Chelsea would play away against Newcastle. With their league form in decline and no hope of qualifying for European competition, Newcastle would likely focus on these smaller cup competitions to win the support of their fans. The match on November 11th, Singles' Day, was expected to be a tough one.

On November 8th, Chelsea had a day off, but the English media was in a frenzy, with the most important sports news being—Owen's serious injury!

The England national team manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, gave an interview to The Sun and commented on Owen's injury, "I am very sad about Owen's serious injury. I have already spoken to him on the phone, and his mental state is good. He is very confident about his recovery, which is important. Many stars have returned to their peak after major injuries, such as Lothar Matthäus, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Ronaldo. Owen is a world-class superstar, and I believe he will definitely return to his peak."

When asked about the England national team's matches, Eriksson answered without hesitation, "Owen is an important player for the England national team, but I have many excellent players. Even if he cannot participate in the two World Cup qualifiers in March next year, a strong England will not give the opposition any chance!"

(PS: These two chapters about Owen's injury are a bit heavy, but the author has his own considerations. Although it's a feel-good story, it also aims for a more reasonable logical relationship. Due to the butterfly effect of Jowan Xian, Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Manchester United have undergone significant changes, but the England national team has not been directly affected. For Jowan to become the manager of the Three Lions, it would be difficult, as Eriksson's performance in the qualifiers has been good, and the FA has no reason to change the manager. Therefore, poor Owen has to suffer...)