STUTTERING Newcastle United have been rocked by the news Michael Owen is facing weeks on the sidelines, but insist midfielder Kieron Dyer will soon make a return to the first team fold.

Despite the suggestion from assistant manager Alan Murray that Owen would be available for tonight's Carling Cup tie with Wigan, the England striker has not been included in the squad.

Newcastle boss Graeme Souness has revealed the groin injury which has kept him out of the last two matches is worse than initially feared, stating it has been torn rather than strained.

Souness, whose position is likely to come under the spotlight again if they fail to win their next two games, is remaining optimistic about the player's chances of making a quick recovery.

But, as Owen has not trained in over ten days, the £16m man is set to spend more time on the treatment table.

The 25-year-old, who will have played just six of the last 12 games after tonight's trip to the JJB Stadium, is expected to miss Saturday's visit of Aston Villa while no predictions are being made about a comeback date.

"Surgery was not considered for Michael. Not at all.

"It is a groin problem which was more than just a strain and he is extremely frustrated by it," said Souness, whose side look toothless in attack without the former Real Madrid man.

"It is not what you want. We are now in November and we have hardly had any respite. We have not had our strongest team out yet and we are nearly in December.

"We are dependant on him for goals and he is a proven out and out goal getter.

"Goals give your team confidence. We have had people missing who could be the difference throughout the season.

"At first we thought it would be a slight strain. It has turned out to be a tear, but we hope he is ready this weekend.

"We need Michael in the cause. Just as Arsenal would miss Thierry Henry and Manchester United would miss Wayne Rooney, we need him fighting for the cause."

Owen, who sits fourth in England's all-time leading scorers charts, has hit four goals in the six appearances he has made, highlighting the importance of having him in the starting line-up alongside Alan Shearer.

The news comes at a time when Newcastle's injury-list has started to ease, with the likes of Albert Luque back in the picture after several weeks out with a hamstring problem.

And Souness suggested last night that Dyer, who is battling to overcome a long-standing liver problem, has been sent to the Olympic Medical Institute in Harrow, Essex, for a week's examination.

The hope is that the 26-year-old, with just three restricted appearances behind him this season, could be back to face Arsenal a week on Saturday at St James' Park.

"Kieron Dyer has been down there for five days in the residential unit," said Souness. "He is being constantly assessed. We did it just to make sure our staff are not missing anything and another view on things would not do any harm.

"Kieron Dyer has been around here with no end in sight for him and so it is good to have a change of venue. I would think he could be in the running for the Arsenal game."

The fact that neither Owen nor Dyer are available for tonight's fixture with Premiership surprise package Wigan has dented Newcastle's chances of progress.

But, even though Souness insists finishing in the top four of the league would mean more than winning a trophy, the Scot still wants Newcastle to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

Wigan boss Paul Jewell has incredibly claimed he will be resting some of his best performers this season.

And Souness, not in a position to do likewise, said: "If you get a Champions League place that means much more money.

"No one wants to win a trophy more than I would and I have tasted it at other clubs so I know what it is like, but the Champions League adds so much more.

"Winning the Carling Cup doesn't mean the club will get to the top any quicker. If you asked our chairman he would be stuck between two stools as well.

"But if you got into the Champions League once and then invested your money wisely it would give you a far greater chance of success over many years than winning the Carling Cup just once."

As for Jewell's insistence that he will not be fielding his strongest team, Souness said: "Wigan will see it the way they choose to, but we are going there with all our big hitters.

"This is a great opportunity to put the record straight from what happened a month ago at Wigan, when Alan Shearer had a goal wrongly not given and we lost 1-0."

Meanwhile, the Football Association confirmed no action to be taken against Newcastle captain Shearer in relation to a challenge on Everton's David Weir on Sunday.

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