Newcastle United captain Alan Shearer will miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his ankle.
Shearer, English football’s most prolific striker since the Premeir League began, suffered the injury during last Saturday’s 1-0 win at Sunderland and will play no part in the last two Premiership games of the season.
The news is a blow for Newcastle who are involved in a three-way race for the remaining two Champions League places with Chelsea and Liverpool.
“We can confirm the fracture,” a Newcastle spokesman said today, adding that Shearer’s recovery would take “six to eight weeks”.
England Under-21 forward Shola Ameobi is likely to replace Shearer in Newcastle’s remaining fixtures.
