Owen to miss season opener
Owen's time at Newcastle has been plagued by injury
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Saturday, 04, Aug 2007 11:19
Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce has revealed that Michael Owen is likely to miss the start of the season due to a persistent thigh injury.
Owen has been unable to compete in much of the Magpies' pre-season and Allardyce says he is reluctant to risk the striker until he is fully fit.
He told the Daily Mail: "It does not look as encouraging as we first thought. The tear in the muscle has not healed as quickly as we would like, so there is no point in making any rash decisions just to get him fit for the start of the season."
Owen will miss Newcastle's opener against Bolton next week but his injury is also likely to have repercussions for the national side.
England have a friendly against Germany at Wembley on August 22nd and the
27-year-old is unlikely to be fit in time.
If the injury continues to be a problem Owen may also be a doubt for England's two Euro 2008 qualifiers at the start of September, against Israel and Russia.
Allardyce admitted it was a frustrating situation but insisted he would not force the striker into playing until he was ready.
"It is about getting him 100 per cent for playing matches on a regular basis," said the Magpies boss.
"That is why it has been more disappointing for him and for me that he has missed pre-season games more than training. He has done enough training to last him a lifetime."
Owen has made just 14 appearances for Newcastle since his £16 million move from Real Madrid in 2005.