JOEY Barton will make his first competitive appearance for Newcastle in this evening's reserves game with his former club, Manchester City, but Sam Allardyce has warned the combative midfielder not to expect a first-team start for up to a month.

Barton will step up his recovery from a broken metatarsal in the familiar environs of Manchester's Regional Athletics Arena, only a stone's throw from the City of Manchester Stadium he called home for the best part of six years.

Last week, the 25-year-old revealed he was hoping to make his first senior appearance for the Magpies in this weekend's Premier League home game with Everton.

But while he is delighted to see one of his flagship summer signings on the road to recovery, Allardyce yesterday told Barton not to expect a run-out against the Toffees.

"Joey Barton has got no chance for Everton on Sunday," said the manager. "It will be four or five weeks (until he plays for the senior side), or at least three or four reserve-team games."

This evening, Barton will be part of a strong Newcastle reserves side that also includes Jose Enrique, Abdoulaye Faye and Emre.

Steve Harper is not involved, although the goalkeeper's recent run of first-team appearances appears to be at an end following Allardyce's decision to restore Shay Given to the starting line-up for Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Manchester City.

Harper had retained his place for two matches, even though Given had recovered from a groin injury, but Allardyce's decision to drop the 32-year-old suggests his prospects could be bleak provided his rival stays fully fit for the remainder of the campaign.

Given and Harper have been rivals for the best part of a decade, and the former admits he felt for his team-mate when he was given the nod at the weekend.

"I had a word with Steve and he was frustrated," said Given.

"It is difficult for both of us when we are not playing.

"We both get as frustrated as each other. We both want to play and the manager's decision could have gone either way. Steve could have played just as easily.

"We are both itching to play and it's the manager's decision. Luckily, for me, he picked me. The problem with goalkeepers is that only one of us can play. We work together every day and try to help each other as much as we can, and I'm sure that won't change."

Former Newcastle defender Titus Bramble has claimed he was forced out of Tyneside this summer.

"I know I was often criticised when I was at Newcastle," said the Wigan centre-half.

"At times I thought it was fair, but at others I thought they were looking for a scapegoat, and that was me.

"I was big enough to take it, but I was glad to move."

Michael Owen should be fit for England's Euro 2008 qualifying matches later this month, according to the specialist who operated on the striker last week.

The 27-year-old went to the clinic of Dr Ulrike Muschaweck in Munich in an attempt to find a solution to a stomach problem which could have led to a hernia, while he is also recovering from a torn adductor muscle in his groin.

Muschaweck is confident he will be ready to feature for Steve McClaren's England side when they take on Estonia on October 13, with a trip to Russia to follow four days later.

''With this type of injury after 10 to 12, a maximum of 14 days, he is back into full activity,'' she admitted.

"He will start training today or tomorrow and every day do a little bit more, and after eight to 10 days he will make a full recovery.''