Quote:The Polish shot-stopper is in his fourth season at Old Trafford but is fed up with sitting on the substitutes' bench after failing to establish himself as No.1 with the Red Devils.

Current No.1 Edwin van der Sar intends to stay at United for another season at least, leading Kuszczak to seek talks with boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer to find out where his future lies.

The 27-year-old told The People: "I don't know how much longer I can stay on the bench.

Change it

"I have waited for four years and I enjoy my time here, but maybe I need to change it.

"I want to stay with Sir Alex because he is a great manager and we will try to find a solution because I am not happy to sit on the bench any more.

"I have always said if I feel I am not developing any more I will have to change something and that moment has arrived.

"I want to win things and I think I've proved I am good enough to be No.1 at United."

Quote:The Manchester United striker suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday's Carling Cup final victory over Aston Villa.

Owen was surprisingly handed a starting role ahead of in-form Wayne Rooney at Wembley and vindicated Sir Alex Ferguson's decision by scoring a well-taken equaliser.

But the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle forward pulled up during the first half on the heavy pitch and limped out of the action to be replaced by Rooney, with the substitute heading the winner in the second half.

Scans have now revealed that the hamstring problem sustained by the 30-year-old will keep him out of action for the remainder of the campaign and he will undergo an operation on Monday.

Owen was always a long-shot to secure a place in England manager Fabio Capello's squad having been regularly overlooked since the Italian took charge.

But his return of 40 goals from 89 international appearances ensured that the debate over his inclusion for the tournament in South Africa would not go away.

Capello's policy of selecting players who were in action regularly and in form counted against Owen, who has struggled for regular starts at Old Trafford with niggling injuries hampering his cause.

Terrible blow

And this latest setback means that the striker, who was an integral part of England's forward line in the past three World Cup finals, will not be involved in a fourth.

"It's a bad blow - he's out for the season," Ferguson said. "Unfortunately it's more serious than we thought. He will be operated on on Monday morning.

"It's a terrible blow for the lad and is disappointing news for us too.

"He has never missed a training session all season.

"I think the heavy pitch at Wembley on Sunday made some contribution to it but really it is just bad luck."

Owen has made 31 appearances for the Red Devils this season, scoring nine goals from 11 starts, with 20 of his outings coming from the bench.

Determined

Ferguson must now plan without the experienced frontman as he targets further glory in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

Although Owen did not mention the World Cup, he is now looking forward to the start of next season.

"Unfortunately the specialist says I will miss the end of the season," said Owen.

"I have loved every minute of my first campaign with Manchester United and have already enjoyed some memorable moments.

"I am determined to come back at the start of next season in peak condition."

Quote:Offside decisions are often the most debated issues in football, but that could amazingly become a thing of the past if hockey's example is replicated.

The sport abolished the offside rule once and for all in 1998, a move that made for a more exciting and attractive game for spectators.

Now Hockey president Leandro Negre has confirmed he held informal talks with Blatter on how his game went about implementing the radical change.

Negre believes Blatter was keen on learning about how the sport was affected, although he stopped short of providing him with his final opinion.