Warning over Owen
SAM Allardyce has warned that it will be Newcastle's medical staff rather than England's who will decide whether Michael Owen is fit for international duty.
Owen's astonishingly rapid recovery after keyhole surgery has put him back in contention for England's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia later this month. The England striker has already started light training and could even play some part in Newcastle's home match against Everton on Sunday.
It now looks odds on that Steve McClaren will name the 27-year-old in his England squad tomorrow but Allardyce said: "A decision like that is taken by me, the club doctor, the head of sports medicine, the senior physiotherapist and the specialist."