Keegan Targets Two More at the Back

Kevin Keegan hopes to have signed a new left-back and a central defender by next Wednesday when his Newcastle United squad head to Mallorca for a pre-season tournament. While Blackburn's Stephen Warnock has long ranked high on Keegan's shopping list, Vasilis Torosidis of Olympiakos yesterday became the latest in a long line of left-backs to claim he was wanted at St James' Park.

Newcastle's manager yesterday confirmed that Michael Owen will again be his captain this season. Owen has one year remaining on his contract and is yet to agree an extension. If no such deal has been struck by January, Owen, who earns around £120,000 a week at the club, will be free to talk to other clubs.

Yet while Keegan is urging his board to deal with the matter, the current impasse probably suits Owen and Mike Ashley, Newcastle's owner, who has made wage restraint the new order of the day on Tyneside.

"Yes, Michael is still my captain," said Keegan yesterday. "He leads by example. Michael is not scared to give his opinion when he's right and he's not scared to say what he feels. He's a tremendous professional who trains properly every day."

Owen, though, has always been injury prone and the "sore calf" which kept him out of last Saturday's friendly win at Hartlepool is expected to again sideline the England striker on Saturday when Newcastle visit Doncaster.