Michael Owen will be kept out of Newcastle's friendly against Carlisle on Saturday as a precautionary measure.The England striker injured his thigh in training and is likely to be out for around 10 days, meaning he will also miss the game against Celtic next Thursday.
Sam Allardyce says the injury is only minor but will not take any risks with Owen ahead of the new Premier League season.
"It's a slight thigh injury he picked up doing a little shooting exercise, so we are taking a precautionary measure and leaving him out of tomorrow's game," Allardyce said.
"Hopefully, it will be no more than a week or 10 days and he should be back in training again.
"It may actually be a little early for the Celtic match, but Juventus on the Sunday is one we hope he can be fit for."
Allardyce believes a fully fit Owen will bang in the goals next season, having managed just seven in two injury-hit years with The Magpies so far.
"There's no doubt that we would like Michael to stay fit for the whole of a season in the Premier League and be chasing the leading goalscorers," he said.
"One would hope when we are drawing to a close at the end of next season, he is within the top three or four leading goalscorers in the Premier League - that would mean we have had a relatively good season."
Meanwhile, the Newcastle boss has played down reports of interest from West Ham in midfielder Kieron Dyer.
Allardyce added: "There is no bid from West Ham, so until Alan Curbishley rings me or the chief executive rings (chief operating officer) Russell Cushing, then there would be no discussion.
"It has been rumoured in the papers and sometimes there is no smoke without fire. Whether there is some interest there now, I don't know.
"Kieron Dyer is not a player I would particularly want to lose, but one never knows at this stage of the season what's going to happen."
