England coaching assistant Ray Clemence says striker Michael Owen still has an international future.
Owen, 28, was overlooked by England boss Fabio Capello for the World Cup qualifiers with Kazakhstan and Belarus.
"What Michael has to do is continue to play and score goals and I'm sure an opportunity will come his way again," Clemence told BBC 5 Live.
"If he is playing at the best of his ability then I am sure that Fabio will be seriously considering him."
Owen, who missed the World Cup qualifying wins over Andorra and Croatia, has scored 40 goals in 89 games for England and has netted five times for Newcastle so far this season.
But Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey have been picked ahead of him for the home game against Kazakhstan on 11 October and the trip to Belarus on 15 October.
"At the moment the four strikers ahead of him are all in form and scoring goals. Therefore, they are there on merit," added Clemence, the former England goalkeeper.
606: DEBATE
"I just think that Fabio wants to have the best 23 players that he possibly can.
"At this moment he believes the four strikers that he has got are really in form and have done well for him. Therefore, he is being loyal to them."
Wales assistant manager Roy Evans was Owen's boss at Liverpool and is surprised by the exclusion.
"He (Capello) must have a really great team if he can leave the likes of Michael Owen out," he said.
"But I suppose there is competition for places and I assume Michael will step up to the brink and fight for his place.
"But I am surprised he has left him out because he's been doing all right for Newcastle even in a struggling team.
"It could be one of those things - that Capello is saying 'okay, I am prepared to leave anybody out of this squad, everyone has to fight for their place' which is how it should be of course."
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~14~RS~)