While the debate about his international future rages on, Michael Owen has spent the past 10 days quietly putting in some intensive training on Tyneside.
With Geordie attention increasingly centred on the identity of Newcastle United's next manager – Wigan's Steve Bruce is top of the club's owner Mike Ashley's shortlist with the current incumbent Joe Kinnear poised to succeed Dennis Wise as director of football next season – Owen has slipped in and out of the team's weekday practice base almost unnoticed.
As Kinnear admitted he may not be fit enough to resume his duties this season after undergoing major heart surgery last month, Owen was working hard to confound those who claim he is yesterday's man.
Overlooked by England, Newcastle's £115,000-a-week striker – who regularly works out privately with his specialist sprint coach, John Green – hopes to start Saturday's Premier League home game against Chelsea after starting on the bench during his team's last fixture, a defeat by Arsenal at St James' Park.
Chris Hughton feels that Fabio Capello's potential loss will be Newcastle's gain. Indeed the club's caretaker manager trusts that the extra time available to undergo fitness work will have eliminated the ring rust afflicting Owen after the 29-year-old recently spent six weeks sidelined by ankle ligament damage.
"Michael has benefited from the two-week break, and it's been a real bonus for us that he's been able to work with us at the training ground," said Hughton. "And what helps during the international break is that the group is a little bit smaller and you are able to concentrate a little bit more on each player.
"Michael is focused on getting on with the job in hand. He is just recently back from six weeks out through injury, and Michael will want to get back to his full fitness levels. He has been concentrating on doing the best he can because it's the tough end of the season now and it's all about what part he can play."
Owen returned from his injury for the 1–1 draw at Hull on 14 March, but looked well off the pace. Even so, he remains Newcastle's leading scorer this season with 10 goals and many at the club see the erstwhile England striker as their best hope of avoiding relegation.
Certainly if Ashley remains serious about courting Bruce – and he is likely to face stiff, probably legal, opposition from his Wigan counterpart and business rival Dave Whelan – he could do with still having a Premier League club to attract him to.
Equally, Owen, a free agent in the summer, knows that attracting lucrative offers from appealing suitors will necessitate him staying fit and scoring a few goals between now and late May.
Meanwhile, Hughton has problems in defence ahead of Chelsea's visit with both Steve Taylor and Sebastien Bassong doubtful with ankle and groin injuries respectively. A hamstring strain has also rendered Damien Duff, a Stamford Bridge old boy, another doubt on the left wing.
