Newcastle striker Michael Owen has targetted a return to first team action this weekend after successfully completing a training workout on Monday.
The 27-year-old England international missed Saturday’s season-opener win at Bolton with a thigh injury sustained picked up in training.
But after a friendly against Newcastle Blue Star at Kingston Park, Owen told the Newcastle United website: “I feel fine, it was only a small injury, a niggle.
“It had me out for a couple of weeks but I’ve trained for the last four or five days and I was confident I’d be fine and it was good to get back out on the pitch.
“It’s a little frustrating to have missed some of the pre-season games but I’ve been able to do all the running work.”
Owen missed most of last season recovering from a knee injury sustained during last summer’s World Cup finals in Germany.