Michael Owen's Newcastle United career is not over just yet after a scan showed the England international has not suffered any serious damage to his groin.

The injury, while painful enough to keep Owen out of Newcastle's costly 1–0 home defeat by Fulham last weekend, is only a minor one and the manager, Alan Shearer, is hoping the club's record signing, whose contract expires next month, will be fit enough to play against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Shearer said: "He had a scan on Monday and there is no serious injury so we're hopeful he'll be involved on Sunday."

That appearance could still be Owen's last in a black and white shirt. Although the club will offer him a new contract if they avoid relegation, the Magpies need at least a point at Villa Park to have any chance of staying in the top flight.

Owen had been offered a £70,000-a-week, four-year deal last December, but that was withdrawn in January when Owen postponed making a decision about his future until the end of the season.