MICHAEL Owen insists he'll put club before country and is targeting a Newcastle return after England's Euro 2008 qualifiers this month.

Despite manager Sam Allardyce not ruling out a return as soon as next Sunday against Everton, Owen has earmarked the home game against Tottenham on October 22.

The 27-year-old striker underwent two operations in Munich over the weekend to cure a double hernia and hopes to start his rehabilitation work as early as today.

Owen said: "Effectively the two operations should provide a complete cure without any need for further surgery.

"The doctor gave me the go-ahead to start jogging on Monday and told me to see how it goes. It's a question of taking it one step at a time and pushing myself as hard as I can whenever it feels right.

"I don't want to tempt fate by making a premature forecast. Medical advice will decide how quickly I will be back in action. I'd rather remain cautious at this stage than set any unrealistic targets.

"But in the back of my mind I had focused on Newcastle's October 22 Premier League game against Tottenham - the first after the international break - for a possible return.

"Anything before that, including England's two Euro qualifiers against Estonia and Russia, would be a bonus."

Owen will be desperate to return ahead of that date for England but, unless he is involved against Everton on Sunday, it would mean his next football would be in Estonia on October 13 or Russia four days later.

The decision on his return would then rest with England's medical staff provided he is picked by Steve McClaren for the two qualifiers when he names his squad in a week's time.

"I shall cling to the hope I can play for England but people must accept that Newcastle have to come first at the moment," said Owen.

"They pay my wages and I have missed far too many games since joining them to put them at the back of the queue as far as priorities go.

"I know it is going to be the subject of national debate as to whether I will be fit to help England qualify for next year's European Championship finals but let's adopt a little bit of caution and see how the next ten days unfold.

"The last six weeks or so have been a real mixture of emotions for me.

"I have been scoring goals for Newcastle and England but at the same time there has been this niggling problem with both sides of my groin.

"Sometimes both sides have felt fine, on other occasions I have felt a tightness there and occasionally they've gone into spasm.

"My big fear was that there were torn muscles."