Our "NU Mad insider" told us Owen was well away from recovery, and the player had told team-mates he couldn't see himself being fit for August 11.
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has admitted the England striker is struggling with a thigh injury, but with Alan Smith, Mark Viduka, Oba Martins and possibly Shola Ameobi available, things could be a lot worse.
Owen's career on Tyneside has been ruined by injuries, as he played just three times for the Magpies last term, only 13 starts in two years! And he has failed to respond to treatment on an injury that has wrecked his pre-season programme.
Allardyce: "It doesn't look as encouraging as we first thought.
"The tear in the muscle hasn't healed as quickly as we would like, so there's no point in making any rash decisions just to get him fit for the start of the season.
"It's about getting him 100% for playing matches on a regular basis. That's why it has been more disappointing for him that he's missed pre-season games more than training.
"He's done enough training to last him a lifetime."