Owen back in Newcastle side after injury

LONDON, Apr 27 (Reuters) England striker Michael Owen is expected to line up for Newcastle United for the first time in almost five months when they play Birmingham City on Saturday.

Owen's return from injury is a boost for England's World Cup hopes with manager Sven-Goran Eriksson due to name his squad for Germany next month.

The 26-year-old broke a metatarsal in a collision with Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper and England team mate Paul Robinson on December.

31. He had further surgery on his foot last month.

''I've been training since Monday and it has been really good, much better than I thought,'' Owen told the Newcastle website.

''I was worried that I would have a bit of pain the more I played but it has been great.

''I haven't spoken to the manager (Glenn Roeder) in detail yet but I think it would probably be sensible, after being out for just under five months, to gradually give me maybe 20 minutes on Saturday and then more in the next game.

''With a muscle I suppose you can go at half-pace to protect it but with a bone it's either not healed or it's okay, so on the first day I was doing sliding tackles and it has been fine,'' added Owen who joined Newcastle from Real Madrid last year for a club record 17 million pounds (30.32 million dollar).

England have warm-up games against Hungary on May 30 and Jamaica four days later. They play their opening World Cup game against Paraguay on June 10.

Owen's return will come a week after Alan Shearer announced his retirement after a knee injury cut short his final season.

''It's a shame that when I'm back he's done his knee, but us not playing together for 50 games is not going to take the edge off what has been a fantastic career for him,'' Owen said.

Newcastle are seventh in the Premier League and chasing a place in next season's UEFA Cup. They are level on 54 points with Blackburn Rovers.

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