Newcastle boss Glenn
Roeder has revealed Michael Owen is on the brink of a return to
action, but ruled out the striker facing Hartlepool in a friendly
on Wednesday.
Owen has not played competitive football since suffering a serious
knee injury on World Cup duty last summer.
The forward's rehabilitation has gone as planned and he has made
good progress in the last six weeks.
Speculation had suggested the forward and fellow long-term injury
victim Shola Ameobi would be let loose on Wednesday.
Roeder has admitted the club had considered fielding the pair, but
has opted to keep their powder dry.
"With Michael, it is quite simple, very simple: the very fact we
considered him for a game on Wednesday - and Shola is the same -
and have decided not to play either of them just shows you how
close both of them are to playing," said Roeder.
"You can make your own assumptions from that.
"Michael Owen is world news, not just British news, in football. If
I say he is going to play in the middle of next week and he does
not, hysteria breaks out that he has had a setback when he, for
sure, has not.
"All I can say is we are getting very, very close. He is in great
shape, he really is. Honestly, he is in great shape."
Roeder admits that he will look to tee-up a game when he feels the
time is right.
He said: "We can pick up the phone to any local club and get a
friendly pretty quickly, within a day.
"But we have not thought about arranging a friendly for next week
just yet. We will see how this week goes first."
