Owen will be all out to inflict more misery on Newcastle

MICHAEL OWEN will have the chance to heap more misery on his favourite opponents when Liverpool meet Newcastle tonight.

The Liverpool star has not scored this term and has been substituted in all of his four games for the club.

But when Owen faces Newcastle, goals tend to follow for the England striker and he has scored more senior goals against the Geordies than any other club.

Twelve goals in eight games against Newcastle already will give him every incentive to get off the mark this term when Bobby Robson brings his side to Anfield.

And suggestions Owen could be rested after his World Cup efforts - he only completed one of England’s five games in the Far East - seem wide of the mark.

Assistant boss Phil Thompson, standing in for Gerard Houllier while the Frenchman was in Monaco handing back the European Super Cup, believes the time is right for Owen.

Liverpool, unbeaten in the Premiership so far this season, have no further injury problems as full-back Vegard Heggem recovers from a knee operation.

And with Jari Litmanen’s departure to Ajax, boss Houllier will have less choice, certainly in midfield. But it is up front where he has to be sensitive, rotating Owen, Emile Heskey and El Hadji Diouf.

So far Heskey has been the one to sit on the bench, but Houllier may well decide to play all three strikers in what will be an open match against Newcastle, utilising Heskey on the left.

And Thompson is expecting a fierce challenge from Newcastle.

Nikos Dabizas will lock horns with Owen and will be determined to end his reign of terror over Newcastle’s defence.

The Greek international and his colleagues have suffered at the hands of the England striker for too long for their liking, and are desperate to break the stranglehold he has established in recent years.

But Dabizas knows Houllier has more than one weapon in his armoury and keeping Owen quiet may not be enough with the likes of Heskey and El Hadji Diouf eager for battle.

With Irish international Andy O’Brien fit again after suffering shin splints, he and £4.5m summer signing Titus Bramble will fight it out to partner Dabizas at the heart of defence.

The Greek and Bramble have started to sow the seeds of a relationship on the pitch in O’Brien’s absence, but the 29-year-old former Olympiakos player admits that, whatever the personnel, the philosophy will be the same.

Newcastle will be boosted at Anfield by the return to the squad of long-term absentees Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert.

The Welshman has been fighting a battle for fitness ever since he underwent surgery for tendinitis in his knee at the end of last season, while Frenchman Robert has been sidelined with a stress fracture in his spine.

Keeper Shay Given is expected to recover from a back problem and striker Lomana LuaLua is fit after complaining of a stomach upset during the midweek game.