Ananova:

Caretaker Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has assured the club's fans - and England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson - there is no need to panic over Michael Owen's fitness.

Amid suggestions the 26-year-old has suffered a setback in his recovery from a fractured metatarsal, Roeder insisted his £17million marksman is still on schedule in his recovery.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," said Roeder on reports Owen had been forced to withdraw from training and undergo urgent scans. "Yes, Michael has been to see his specialist for an X-ray and a scan and as a result, he missed a couple of days' training."

He added: "But the scans in particular are pre-planned and something he is having on a regular basis as part of his rehabilitation.

"His scan this week showed that there are no problems and Michael is right to be happy at the way things are progressing. Talk of a setback is simply not true.

"Michael is recovering at the rate our medical team and his specialist predicted and he is at the exact stage we expected him to be at.

"Certainly, there is no need for any supporters of Newcastle United or England to panic about Michael Owen."

Owen has been sidelined since breaking the bone in his foot in a collision with Tottenham and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson at White Hart Lane on December 31.

He underwent surgery to pin the damaged metatarsal within days, and it was forecast at the time that he would be out of action for three months.

Both former boss Graeme Souness and Roeder have been encouraged by the pace of his recovery, although cautious about when he may return knowing a decision taken too early could prove disastrous.

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