Newcastle United Football Club News

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• Manager:Alan Pardew

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More injury woe for Owen

04 Aug 2007 - 12:15:39

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Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that Michael Owen is unlikely to be fit enough to feature in next weekend's Premier League opener against Bolton Wanderers.

The England international picked up a thigh injury in pre-season training and the problem is taking longer than expected to heal.

"It doesn't look as encouraging as we first thought," Allardyce told the Daily Mail.

"The tear in the muscle hasn't healed as quickly as we would like, so there's no point in making any rash decisions just to get him fit for the start of the season.

"It's about getting him 100 per cent for playing matches on a regular basis. That's why it has been more disappointing for him that he's missed pre-season games more than training.

"He's done enough training to last him a lifetime."

Meanwhile, Kieron Dyer's proposed move to West Ham is reported to have collapsed.