The 27-year-old headed back to Tyneside having taken his international goals tally to 40 with three in two games for England against Israel and Russia to mark his return to top form.

He joined up with Steve McClaren's squad having opened his season's account for the Magpies with the first goal in a 2-0 Carling Cup victory over Barnsley and then a late winner to condemn Wigan to Barclays Premier League defeat at St James' Park.

That took his tally in a black and white shirt to nine in 18 appearances since his £17million switch from Real Madrid in August 2005, and Allardyce is hoping his talent for scoring vital goals continues as Newcastle head for struggling Derby on Monday evening.

He said: "He did it against Wigan and he did it against Barnsley to get us on the way.

"He is a great goalscorer and he scores very, very crucial goals. Instead of scoring when we are 3-0 up and making it four, he generally scores when you need him to.

"Certainly his ratio for conversion of chances over the last two games for England is up dramatically.

"He had a couple or three chances against Barnsley and he had maybe three or four against Wigan and got one; he had fewer for England and scored in every game.

"He has scored three in two matches and his ratio now has rocketed up to one goal in two chances and two goals in three chances, which is exactly what somebody like myself needs and Newcastle United need to continue our undefeated run."

That run extends to five games to the start of the season, and that is something Owen and Allardyce would dearly love to preserve as they attempt to increase promoted Derby's woes.

The Rams lost 6-0 at Liverpool last time out and will be intent on restoring their battered pride, but Newcastle will arrive determined to inflict more misery.

Owen will at least have a couple of extra days to get over his England exertions, although with Mark Viduka fit after a hamstring injury and Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi itching for a chance, competition for places is intense.

Martins in particular has staked a claim in his last two appearances, coming off the bench to score against Barnsley and then providing the cross for Owen's crucial strike against Wigan.

Allardyce said: "There is a difficult situation for me there because Oba is not going to be totally satisfied if he is on the bench too long.

"I have to manage that situation like I have with all the other squad players who expect to be playing rather than not.

"I hopefully can manage that as well as I possibly can and keep all the players as happy as I can, and then when they do get an opportunity to play, they grasp that opportunity and make life difficult for me to leave them out again."