Newcastle Ever More Uncertain About Owen

Michael Owen's position at Newcastle has come under scrutiny after the public emergence of a £9m get-out clause in his contract. The uncertainty over the striker's commitment to Newcastle, which has been present ever since the day he signed for the club, has increased markedly with the revelation of the clause.

Having played in only 14 Newcastle games since his £17.5m transfer from Real Madrid in August 2005, Owen has expressed "guilt" about his metatarsal and knee ligament injuries blighting his Newcastle career but there has been no definitive statement from him that he will be a Newcastle player in August.

There is an expectation both inside and outside St James' Park that Owen will feel a sense of moral obligation towards Newcastle after they rehabilitated him following his knee injury at last year's World Cup and paid more than half of his weekly wage of £115,000. But, while Owen has talked of his guilt at missing around 16 of the 21 months he has been on Tyneside, there has been no confirmation from the player that he will stay next campaign.

Newcastle fans would like to hear Owen relay that he will be at St James' next season regardless of any offers from other clubs this summer, and so would the Newcastle board. In an interview in last Saturday's match programme Owen responded to a question about his future by saying he would "hopefully play and score more goals for Newcastle United". But he did not use the words "next season".

Owen said in October in an after-dinner speech: "In terms of how long I stay at Newcastle, I'm here as long as everybody wants me. I had four years on my contract when I signed last year, so I would say at least that length of time and then you'd have to ask the chairman for the rest."

Newcastle would like to hear something comparable again now as would, presumably, Sam Allardyce. The former Bolton manager is expected to be announced as Glenn Roeder's successor next week, although it is understood no contract has been signed and there are prolonged discussions over the make-up and size of Allardyce's potential backroom staff.

Southampton's captain, Claus Lundekvam, is out of the Championship play-offs after suffering a suspected dislocated ankle in Sunday's 4-1 win against Southend. "If I'm honest, I'll be lucky to be ready for pre-season," the defender said.

Walter Smith moved yesterday to fill the void due to be left by Dado Prso's imminent departure from Rangers by clinching a deal to bring the 31-year-old French striker Jean-Claude Darcheville to Ibrox. Darcheville, whose contract expires with Bordeaux in the summer, made 14 league starts for Nottingham Forest in 1998-99. He has agreed a two-year deal in Glasgow and will join two other new signings, Alan Gow and Kirk Broadfoot, at Ibrox in advance of the next campaign.