Newcastle United say they are not expecting a January bid from Manchester City for their £17 million-rated striker Michael Owen.

Sam Allardyce, the manager, has spent much of the last few weeks considering alternatives should Sven-Goran Eriksson follow up his interest in the 27-year-old England international when the transfer window opens.

However, it is understood he has been in touch with the Swede to check on his intentions, and has been told Owen’s injury problems have put the north-west club off making any move.

That will come as a relief to 53-year-old Allardyce, who hopes to have the former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker back in action after his thigh problem by next week.

With Nigeria international Obafemi Martins due to head off on African Nations Cup duty for up to six weeks after the Barclays Premier League clash with City at St James’ Park on January 2, that will have eased at least one headache.

Allardyce started the season with a quartet of experienced strikers in Owen, Martins, summer signing Mark Viduka and Shola Ameobi, although injuries to the England man and the Australia international have limited options.

Martins’s impending departure and Viduka’s international commitments mean any bid for Owen could leave Allardyce in a difficult position with Middlesbrough and Glenn Roeder’s Norwich both keeping tabs on Ameobi.

January could prove to be a difficult month for Allardyce, with Geremi, Habib Beye and Abdoulaye Faye also away representing their countries in the African Nations Cup.

“Of course it is causing me concern,” said Allardyce. “We all know what Martins, Geremi and Faye are capable of, and now Beye has started to play and is showing why we brought him here.”

For all he is not expected to have serious money to spend in January, Allardyce has his network of scouts working tirelessly in an attempt to identify fresh talent for when the opportunity arises.

“We are constantly monitoring the situation,” he added. “Our scouts are out 24/7 and we will just have to see how we go. They are under instructions to find us quality players but to tell the truth at this moment in time, there are not that many of them out there.”