Owen back for Newcastle

Newcastle striker Michael Owen is set to make his first appearance of the season against Bolton on Saturday after recovering from a calf injury.

Owen, 28, missed Newcastle's pre-season preparations and their Premier League opener at Manchester United due to the calf problem and a bout of mumps.

But the England star told boss Kevin Keegan he is ready to return to action after training well this week and he will be on the bench at St James' Park.

“Just having Michael in training with us for the last few days gives everyone a boost,” Keegan said.

“It's the first time that new signings (Fabricio) Coloccini, (Danny) Guthrie or (Jonas) Gutierrez have really seen what it is like to play with Michael. It gives everyone a boost.

“He (Owen) has trained with us for the last two days and I am going to put him on the bench, so that's a big step forward.

“He is fit, he is scoring his goals out there, and Michael is not a lad who takes a lot of getting fit.”