Allardyce rules out surgery on Owen for now

Michael Owen's groin problem will be closely monitored by Newcastle United as he attempts to avoid another bout of surgery. The 27-year-old striker has been included in the squad for tomorrow's Premier League match with West Ham at St James' Park six days after limping off with a tight groin during the 1-0 defeat at Derby.

That may allay fears that the England forward needs an operation to repair a hernia for now, with vital Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia coming up next month. However, the Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce admits it is a situation which will have to be carefully managed to ensure Owen does not succumb once again.

He said yesterday: "When anybody gets anything where there is a slight tightening, then it's the beginning of a warning sign to say you need to make sure you find out what the problem is and then sort the problem out. You would manage that area more cautiously than anything else, and then take a view on a week-by-week basis and see how things are. Hopefully, going into Sunday's game, he is OK. He has recovered from Monday night's match because we brought him off sooner rather than later, and we go from there."

Allardyce has been adamant all week that talk of surgery was premature. A scan showed no lasting damage, but it came as a relief when Owen was able to train yesterday.

"We will be guided by the scan and that is not showing that Michael needs an operation," Allardyce said. "He trained today and he is fit for selection. But that is not to say that groin trouble will not turn into a hernia, and if he does need an operation, we will decide about it then."

Elsewhere, the Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale has offered to stand down after being targeted by a section of the club's fans. The former Leeds chairman offered his resignation at a board meeting after receiving a number of abusive text messages, but it was turned down by the club's directors.

"I am getting more stick for saving Cardiff City than I did when things went wrong at Leeds," Ridsdale said. "If the fans want Sam Hammam back in charge, as many of them are telling me, then maybe they should have him. Right now, I feel like walking away.

"The future for the football club would be bleak, maybe even liquidation. Do I want to do that? No, I really am passionate about what's happening. Am I being driven away? Yes. I believe I am."

* Southampton have signed the West Ham defender Christian Dailly on a one-month loan deal.