Kevin Keegan has said that Michael Owen will continue to play “in the hole” behind two forwards for Newcastle United. The manager had employed the formation for the past three matches, but Owen dropped farther into midfield during his side’s 4-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, a victory that helped to dispel fears of relegation from the Barclays Premier League.

Owen scored once, taking his tally to nine this season. “I told him: ‘This is the position that you’ve got to play for us because that’s where you’re most use to us,’ ” Keegan said. “He never once said: ‘I’m a forward’. He just said ‘fine’. I think he’s enjoyed it.” Keegan expects his captain, a substitute against France last week, to start for England when the World Cup qualifying campaign begins in the autumn. “Fabio Capello needs asking why he hasn’t played Michael because only he knows,” Keegan said. “When the big games come, Michael will play.”

Tottenham have banned five supporters for abusive chanting during the 2-0 victory over Portsmouth last week. The club claim that a Chelsea fan, arrested for antiSemitic gestures during the 4-4 draw two weeks ago, will be banned from Stamford Bridge.