Owen to see specialist

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has revealed Michael Owen will see a specialist on Thursday to decide whether he needs a hernia operation.

The England striker missed his club's Carling Cup defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday night and is a doubt for his country's crucial European Championship qualifiers against Estonia and Russia on October 13 and 17.

Allardyce said: "He has a 3cm tear in his abductor muscle and will see a specialist on Thursday to decide whether he will need a hernia operation or not."

He added: "He will decide when he sees the specialists whether he needs the hernia operation or not."

Responding to reports surgery had already been scheduled for Friday, Allardyce said: "Whoever does the surgery cannot say whether he needs a hernia or not until they have seen him, unless they are magic and they can see over here from Germany and peer into his stomach and say 'oh by the way, you have got a hernia and need an operation on it'.

The Magpies boss added: "It will be three weeks out.

"He would miss England with his groin, so we might as well check up whether he needs a hernia op or not while he is out for two or three weeks with his abductor tear."