MICHAEL Owen will see a groin specialist later today after Sam Allardyce admitted that surgery had become more likely following the striker's second injury scare within the space of six days.

Owen hobbled off the field after just 51 minutes of yesterday's 3-1 win over West Ham complaining of tightness in his groin.

The problem first reared its head in last Monday's 1-0 defeat at Derby, when Owen was substituted before the hour mark.

And while an earlier scan had shown no serious damage to the striker's groin, Allardyce is to seek a second opinion later today.

The Magpies manager had hoped that a carefully-monitored training and recovery programme would prevent Owen's groin problem from escalating into a hernia injujry that would require surgery.

But after the England international failed to finish yesterday's game, he admitted that he was growing increasingly concerned.

"It's still a tightening in the groin area, but we'll have to get a specialist report now not just a scan," said Allardyce, who confirmed that Owen would play no part in tomorrow's Carling Cup third-round tie at Arsenal. "We'll have to look into it a little deeper because it's become persistent.

"I'm worried that he had to come off today because he felt it as opposed to me taking him off at Derby.

"Since Monday, even though the scan was clear, there's obviously been a persistent area that's been causing him a problem.

"We need to look deeper into that.

"We'll scan it again, get a specialist opinion and make a decision from there."

Owen's absence could hardly be more untimely for either Newcastle or England, with the striker set to miss crucial games for both club and country if he is forced to undergo surgery this month.

While sources close to the 27-year-old suggest he is hoping to be sidelined for no more than two weeks if surgery becomes inevitable, a hernia operation generally requires a recovery period of around a month.

That would rule Owen out of Newcastle's forthcoming Premier League games against Manchester City and Everton, and also jeopardise his involvement in England's crucial European Championships qualifiers against Estonia and Russia on October 13 and 17 respectively.

With Emile Heskey unlikely to be fit for either game after breaking a metatarsal earlier this month, England boss Steve McClaren would obviously prefer Owen to delay any surgery until the end of next month.

Allardyce, however, is adamant that the striker will be treated as quickly as possible if this week's medical reports conclude that an operation is inevitable.

"If Michael needed an operation, he would have it straight away," said the Newcastle boss, who confirmed that Claudio Cacapa had also limped out of yesterday's game with a groin problem.

"I would look after Michael Owen's interests rather than anybody else's.

"He's the club's most expensive asset so, if there's a problem, you mustn't let it go on any longer than it needs to.

"You must address it straight away. Nothing else comes into the equation.

"We would find the best surgeons in the world, and that would mean him recovering quicker than anybody else in his position.

"If it needs to be surgery, we'll find the best people in the world, but I don't know if that's the position until the specialist tells me so.

"I'm not an expert in terms of that area so I don't know what's going to happen until the specialist rings me up and tells me what his examination has shown.

"I'm not qualified to say what it is or what it isn't."

Owen's injury took the gloss of an otherwise enjoyable afternoon in which Newcastle briefly rose as high as fourth in the Premier League table.

Mark Viduka's first-half double sandwiched an equaliser from Dean Ashton, before Charles N'Zogbia's third goal of the season secured Newcastle's third Premier League success of the campaign.

"It was all very positive," said Allardyce.

"I thought some players played really well, and some players learned an awful lot about what to expect in the Premier League.

"That, on top of getting a 3-1 win against one of the in-form teams in the Premier League, pleased me. It was a very satisfying result and, in many cases, a very satisfying performance."