| www.Shearer9.com Shearer out of operation for six weeks By Peter Ball Newcastle United and England received the news that they did not want yesterday. Alan Shearer, the world's most expensive footballer, went into hospital for an operation on his right groin, and will be out of the game for at least six weeks. "It looks likely I will miss four [FA Carling] Premiership games, and the England game in Georgia," Shearer said. He had a similar operation in May on his left groin, and was back playing in four weeks then. With Shearer's partnership with Les Ferdinand beginning to gel, the news could hardly have come at a worse time for club or country. On Sunday, they each scored in Newcastle's 5-0 victory over Manchester United at St James' Park. "I spoke to Alan on Tuesday, and he told me there was every chance he would need an operation," Glenn Hoddle, the England coach, said. "Obviously, it is an unfortunate situation, but both Alan and I hope that his recovery will be as speedy as it was before Euro 96." At the least, Shearer will miss England's World Cup qualifying group match in Georgia on November 9, Newcastle's second-round, second-leg Uefa Cup tie with Ferencvaros, four Premiership games, the Coca-Cola Cup fourth-round tie with Middlesbrough and at least the first leg of the third round of the Uefa Cup if Newcastle get through. "Before Euro 96, Alan was back after four weeks, but, according to the experts, we are looking at between six and eight weeks," Graham Courtney, the Newcastle press officer, said. "Hopefully, that's the worst scenario, but that's what we must prepare for." Shearer, predictably, was being optimistic yesterday. "I had the original operation on my left groin in May and was playing for England in just over four weeks," he said. There were reports, after England's 2-1 win against Poland on October 9, that the operation would be necessary, but they were dismissed at the time. Now, it turns out that the reports were merely premature. "I felt some twinges around three or four weeks ago, and visited the specialist, who confirmed I had a similar problem with my right groin, which apparently is not unusual in these cases," Shearer said. At first, Shearer and Newcastle hoped to put off the operation until late in the season. "We tried to nurse him through it, but Alan knew in himself that he could not carry on," Terry McDermott, the Newcastle assistant manager, said. "It might have been OK for three weeks, but it might not. Alan wanted it done, and the club has done the right thing." If Shearer's optimistic timetable is met, the consequences of his absence for Newcastle may not be so severe. In the next five weekends, their Premiership games do not involve any of the leading teams, with the derby against Middlesbrough the most testing match in a run that includes Leicester City, West Ham United and Chelsea, and the break for the international. At least Shearer stayed fit long enough to play his part against Manchester United. "The club was advised that, with care, he would be able to continue playing until the end of the season," Kevin Keegan, the Newcastle manager, said, "but he aggravated it against United." His efforts in that match took their toll. "The pain had been getting worse in recent games, and was really bad during and after the United game," Shearer said. Hoddle must now take the England squad to a potentially awkward game in Georgia without his captain and most reliable asset, although he can at least take some consolation from the knowledge that Shearer should be fully operational by the time that England meet Italy in the new year, and more immediately, that Robbie Fowler is back in action and scoring goals for Liverpool. Newcastle's loss may be greater, although Peter Beardsley, the club captain, and Keegan put a brave face on it yesterday. "Don't forget, we almost won the league without Alan last season and scored goals before he came," Beardsley said. "It is obviously a blow for us in the championship race," Keegan said, "but we have to believe we've got a squad deep enough and good enough to compensate." That belief will now be tested. The most obvious replacement is Faustino Asprilla, the Colombia international, Keegan's £7.5 million signing from Parma, but he has lacked consistency and he was substituted against Oldham Athletic on Wednesday when Shearer's absence gave him a rare start. Source: The Times 25 October 1996 |