Continuing fears about the fitness of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler have prompted Liverpool to seek to implement immediately a secret deal to bring Leicester City's Emile Heskey to Anfield - six months before he was due to move.

An agreement for the striker to join the Merseyside club for around Stg £7.5m at the end of this season was struck more than six months ago. Leicester's manager Martin O'Neill runs the risk of losing Heskey on a Bosmanstyle free transfer in 2001, which is why he has agreed in principle to sell him to Liverpool for what he privately regards as a "knockdown" fee.

Although Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier was content to wait until the summer to ratify the transfer, his agenda changed dramatically on Monday night when his side's season was badly set back by Blackburn. It is understood he will shortly ask O'Neill to sanction the immediate sale of Heskey, presumably for slightly more than the £7.5 million provisionally agreed.

It appears Leicester have lined up a replacement with another offer for Sheffield Wednesday's striker Andy Booth. Wednesday's manager Danny Wilson has refused straight cash for Booth but it is thought he will accept £1 million plus Leicester's unsettled Icelandic forward Arnar Gunnlaugsson.

As for Owen and Fowler, Houllier remains adamant both will soon return to match fitness. But the suspicion persists that all is not well.

Yesterday Owen travelled to Munich to see, for a second time, the German sports injury doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller Wohlfahrt, while Fowler visited a London specialist.

Fowler may well be told his ankle injury requires a second operation. "We hope to know exactly where we stand within the next 24 hours," said Houllier.

Owen is still dogged by his hamstring injury and he may need more rest. But Houllier is hopeful he will play some part at Watford on Saturday.

Liverpool also expect to confirm shortly that German defender Markus Babbel will join on a free transfer from Bayern Munich this summer.