The 27-year-old England striker is back in training and perhaps only days away from joining in with his team-mates following the long haul back from two bouts of surgery.

However, Roeder is acutely aware that, in a different era, the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered at the World Cup finals in June could have finished him as a professional footballer.

He said: "Michael is where he should be in his recovery. He was out there this morning and he is looking in fine shape considering how bad the injury was.

"People have to realise the injury he suffered during the World Cup was a shocking injury.

"It is not that many years ago than an injury like that would finish a player's career.

"Thankfully, because of medical advances and the ability of surgeons to put parts of the human body back together again, he is out training and I am very, very pleased for him."

Owen was operated upon in America by renowned specialist Dr Richard Steadman - the man who prolonged Alan Shearer's career - and immediately set his sights on playing again this season.

That may yet happen, although both Roeder and Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd, who is still fighting for compensation for the loss of the club's £17million record signing for the bulk of the campaign, have insisted he will not be rushed back.

Owen has managed only 11 appearances to date for the club, the last of them as a substitute at Birmingham in April last year, but his seven goals have demonstrated the potency in which the Magpies invested so heavily two summers ago.

With Shola Ameobi also on course for a return before the end of the season and £10million Obafemi Martins and Antoine Sibierski added to the mix, Roeder is confident he has a strikeforce which can make a real impact in 2007-08.