Big Sam doesn’t expect row

Oct 06

Big Sam doesn’t expect row

Allardyce: No row

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce does not expect any sort of club versus country row over Michael Owen.

Owen was confirmed in the England squad for their Euro 2008 qualifiers with Estonia and Russia later this month, just a week after he underwent surgery on a hernia problem.

The 27-year-old has, though, returned to training with Newcastle and so Allardyce does not think there is an issue, despite previously expressing his reservations over Owen’s involvement with England.

Allardyce is now happy for Owen to play for England, given that he is included in Newcastle’s squad for their clash with Everton on Sunday.

No problem

“I think he will be available for Sunday, so I do not think that will be a problem,” said Allardyce.

“Based on today, as long as he does not get any reaction, he will be available for the squad.

“He will come in on Saturday and train again and he will be okay, so I think he will be available for selection.”

Priority

However, the Newcastle boss insists he has first call on Owen and they will always put his club commitments first.

“It is nothing to do with Steve McClaren and England what I do with Michael Owen,” he insisted.

“It is what I think is the best for the football club and the team on Sunday, and Michael Owen all combined.

“I have never been one to ask somebody to play and risk being injured again.

“I take my medical staff’s information, the highly-qualified staff I have got, and I take their recommendation.

“Unless I am really, really desperate – and I mean really desperate – I would not ask a player to go out there who I do not think is going to complete the game, or is going to make his condition worse than it already is.

“If he is fit, he is fit. If he plays on Sunday, then obviously he is fit to play for England then.

“But I have to look at my position first and make sure if I am going to select him, he is 100 per cent able to do what I want him to do.

“We have to bear in mind his previous, and his recent previous has not been too good when he has tried to complete a number of games.

“He has had two sets of surgery, even though they were only minor and an adductor, and I am always very protective for the future.

“I won’t be over-protective, but protective enough not to put myself into trouble in the future by risking Michael Owen too early.

“That is a big decision to make. Every player when he thinks he is fit from his injury, thinks he it fit to play, and sometimes as a manager, you have got to look a bit longer and deeper than that.”