Liverpool's influential striker is set to be sidelined for the entire festive period of fixtures after failing to recover from an ongoing thigh injury.
The England striker suffered the recurrence after tearing the thigh muscle during Liverpool's 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest in last month's UEFA Cup tie.
It was initially thought Owen would only be out for three weeks but the latest news comes as a further setback for manager Gerard Houllier, who is under increased pressure after losing to Southampton at the weekend.