Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd Wednesday complained that the compensation to the English premier league club due to Michael Owen's injury is inadequate.

The English Football Association, which is responsible for insuring all England players while on national duty, will compensate the player's club for as long as the recovery period takes.

Owen has returned to England from the World Cup finals after sustaining a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is expected to be miss action for several months.

But Shepherd said Newcastle should be entitled to compensation beyond the cost of meeting Owen's salary.

"When you lend somebody something and they return them injured or broken then you shouldn't have to pay for the repair," said Shepherd.

"That what's happened at Newcastle and the level of compensation isn't high enough in my opinion."