Owen To Miss Toon Games - NOT England!

Dudley Rogg, clinic director of the British Hernia Centre, (as if Owen would have it done on the NHS) says it is a minor operation that won't sideline the player for long.

But you can bet he won't have it done during the international period when Newcastle are not involved in any games.

Rogg is confident that if Owen did undergo surgery now, he would be back in business in plenty of time to figure in his country's vital Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia on October 13 and the potentially crucial trip to Russia four days later.

Rogg: "With the modern treatment now available, we have footballers back on the pitch within 14 days experiencing no further problems.

"Unless Sam Allardyce delays the surgery - which will not only put Michael Owen at serious risk of making his hernia worse, but experiencing recurring problems - our experience suggests he should easily be fighting fit for England's next European qualifier against Estonia on October 13."

Allardyce could do without their £17million man disappearing back into the treatment room - he has already undergone four operations in his two years on Tyneside, two on his fractured metatarsal and two on the knee he damaged during last summer's World Cup finals.