“I find it very strange that people question a specialist who has done thousands of operations before, who is saying you could be back in a matter of a few days. That is exactly what has happened.”

His manager Allardyce today also insisted there was no problem with Owen.

He said: “It’s just people trying to get between myself and Michael.

“For me as manager, I have 14 players away on international duty representing their countries, and for each and everyone of them, all I can do is keep my fingers crossed they come back fit and well.”

Owen, whose double against Russia last month saw him become only the fourth player to score 40 goals for England, feels his club loyalty has been questioned virtually since the day he launched his international career with the famous wonder-goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.

“It has been stirred up for quite a while, right back to my Liverpool days,” he said.

“I scored for England in the World Cup at such an early age at a time when Liverpool were coming fourth and fifth in the league.

“I remember him [Jamie Carragher] saying that because I made my name with England, I would always be associated with them, that the fans would think I was England’s player rather than Liverpool’s until I won something.

“When we won the (2001 cup) treble, I definitely felt a warmth towards the fans but unfortunately that label has stuck with me right the way through my career.”