 Owen left the field against Derby early in the second half |
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has insisted England striker Michael Owen does not require a hernia operation. Owen, 27, was sent for a scan to determine if he needed surgery to cure a persistent groin problem after being substituted against Derby on Monday.
But Allardyce said: "He does not need a hernia operation. I fully expect him to be fit to face West Ham on Sunday."
Surgery could have led to a three-week lay-off, making Owen doubtful for England's October Euro 2008 qualifiers.
Steve McClaren's side are set to face Estonia and Russia on 13 and 17 October.
Owen, who has scored five goals in as many games for club and country, was taken off after 56 minutes of Newcastle's defeat by Derby on Monday.
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The injury-prone forward missed the opening two games of the season because of a thigh problem, having been sidelined for the majority of the 2006-07 campaign because of a cruciate ligament injury suffered at the 2006 World Cup finals. But he looked close to his best form when scoring three goals in two games for England in the recent Euro 2008 qualifying wins over Israel and Russia.
However, he struggled against Derby on Monday and was withdrawn shortly after half-time - although Allardyce insisted it was merely a precautionary measure.
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