Owen, 30, moved to Old Trafford last season on a free transfer following Newcastle's relegation to the Championship.
He thought the chance to work under Sir Alex Ferguson would help get his career back on track after injuries hampered his time at Real Madrid then Newcastle.
It has not quite gone to plan for Owen, who has 89 caps and 40 goals for England, with a winning goal in the Manchester derby and his equalising strike in last year's Carling Cup final highlights of an otherwise barren run.
He said last week that he felt his career was passing him by - he is backup striker at the Red Devils, and with Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov in good form, that is unlikely to change any time soon.
He will be given a rare start at Glanford Park in the third round of the Carling Cup on Wednesday.
"I understand Michael's frustration - he's exactly right - but it's because Berbatov started the season so well, then the international break came. It's difficult," said Ferguson.
"I agree he probably thinks it's passing him by, but he's doing well in training, never misses a session. He'll start against Scunthorpe and he'll get enough football this season."