Owen is apparently fighting a race against time to be in the Premiership opener with Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium a week on Saturday.
According to reports in the Chronicle: "The England striker's thigh injury is proving a bit slow to heal".
And after Big Sam took almost two months ... and a pair of plyers and a slegehammer ... to get Owen to pledge his future to the Mags, it seems he could sit out the first match.
Sam expected Owen and Shola Ameobi to play some part against Celtic at St James' Park on Thursday night, and neither were involved against Juventus on Sunday.
There is a chance that Ameobi, who has had a bit of back trouble, will play some part in Sunday's match against SAmpdoria, but Owen is certainly missing.