Talk of Ronaldinho departure hangs heavy over Nou Camp

Talk of divorce hung heavy in the Spanish air Tuesday with Ronaldinho's forecast split from Barcelona filling the back pages.

Fuelled by reports from London that Chelsea were preparing to table a 70 million euro bid for the out-of-sorts Brazil striker newspapers here predicted separation would come sooner rather than later.

Spanish media claim Barcelona are fed up with the 2005 Footballer of the Year's poor form while the player himself has grown tired of the repeated attacks on his private life.

He has kept a distinctly low profile since being accused of late night binges before games five days ago with the official line being that he's recovering from a muscle problem which kept him out of Barca's game against Sevilla last Saturday.

Absent from training on Monday he is certain to miss Barcelona's match against Real Zaragoza on Wednesday.

Barca president Joan Laporta declared on Monday that they needed "to help (Ronaldinho) to regain his best form so that he doesn't feel isolated".

Laporte insisted that he had not yet "received any firm offers" for the star forward, whether from AC Milan or Chelsea.

That conciliatory tone set by the Barca boss contrasted with the "ultimatum" reportedly issued to Ronaldinho by his Catalan employees.

According to sports daily Marca he was told: "If you don't change you'll find yourself on the street."

Marca on Tuesday declared "there was no doubt" that the club would sell one of the jewels in its crown at the end of the season or during the winter transfer window.

The 27-year-old forward's brother and agent, Roberto de Assis, commenting on the growing rift on Monday, told The Sun newspaper: "I'm sure that a campaign exists against Ronaldinho.

"He is doing everything he can in order to return to his very best and soon he will see the fruits of his hard work. He will be at a high level again soon.

"I have read many absurd stories about his nightlife and I do not want to comment on them. Ronaldinho still has four years on his contract at Barcelona and he is calm."

Despite being jeered by fans in the Nou Camp, criticised by former Barca star Johann Cruyff, and sidelined by coach Frank Rijkaard, Ronaldinho can still count on the support of his teammates.

Lionel Messi dedicated his two-goal haul against Sevilla to him on Saturday while Italian defender Gianluca Zambrotta insisted there was nothing wrong with having a drink 48 hours before kick-off as Ronaldinho is supposed to have done recently.

Ronaldinho joined Barcelona in 2003 and his silky skills have helped them to two league titles and the Champions League in 2006.

England facing striker crisis as Owen set for op

England coach Steve McClaren was Tuesday facing up to the likelihood that he will have to do without Michael Owen for next month's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia.

McClaren, who is already resigned to being without Wigan's Emile Heskey, was anxiously awaiting a diagnosis on Owen's stomach muscle injury as speculation mounted that he will require a hernia operation that would sideline him for a month.

Newcastle striker Owen has underlined his importance to England's cause by scoring four goals in the last three qualifiers and his revived partnership with Heskey helped England to beat Israel and Russia convincingly at Wembley earlier this month.

The impact of the Owen/Heskey partnership was so significant in those matches that McClaren had been widely expected to retain them as his forward combination despite the return to action of Wayne Rooney, who missed the Israel and Russia matches with a metatarsal fracture.

With Heskey ruled out following surgery on a broken bone in his foot, West Ham's Dean Ashton is being tipped for a call-up to the national squad following his recovery from the broken ankle which wrecked his chances of going to the 2006 World Cup and forced him to miss all of last season.

The 23-year-old is delighted to be back in the England reckoning and to know that, following Heskey's success in unsettling the Israeli and Russian defences, powerful centre-forwards like him are back in fashion.

"It is obviously down to Steve McClaren but I feel I'm ready for a call-up and it would be lovely to realise my dream of playing for England," Ashton said at the weekend.

"Emile was outstanding in the last two games, so hopefully that shows there is room for a big guy up front."

Ashton has the aerial power England need if they are to make the most of their ability to turn opposing defences through the pacy combination of Micah Richards and Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right and Joe Cole's ability to deliver high-quality crosses from the left.

But he also boasts a superior first touch to Heskey and his willingness to loiter on the shoulder of the last defender potentially makes him an ideal foil for Rooney.

This month's victories have put England back on track to qualify for Euro 2008 but they cannot afford to lose to Russia in Moscow on October 17.

Newcastle were due to make an announcment on Owen's diagnosis later on Tuesday.