Newcastle United striker Michael Owen has been boosted by the latest scan on his knee injury showing less serious damage than had been at first feared.

The 26-year-old is still unlikely to feature again this year after suffering the injury in the World Cup clash with Sweden, but has been lifted by a scan showing damage only to the cruciate ligament and not the anterior ligament as well.

He told the club's official website: "We've had all the scans done over here, basically we're thinking from what the scans say that it's a cruciate.

"It's a rupture, you can't see the cruciate on the scan so it's obviously floating about somewhere in the knee, but apart from that there is minimal damage.

"There is nothing else that needs operating on, so that is a big bonus.

"Not so much of a bonus in terms of time limits, but just in coming back where you have just one injury to come back from and not plenty of things going on in your knee.

"It's a bitter pill to swallow and if I thought I'd miss the World Cup and be back for the start of the season then it would have softened the blow.

"But to get the injury that most footballers fear the worst and to be ruled out for the rest of the year is a major disappointment."