Alan Shearer's career could be over after the Newcastle skipper suffered suspected knee ligament damage in the 4-1 derby victory at Sunderland.

The 35-year-old had fired his side ahead with a 61st-minute penalty, his 206th goal for the club, when he was hurt in a challenge with substitute Julio Arca. He tried to play on but limped from the pitch with 19 minutes remaining. Caretaker manager Glenn Roeder admits there is real concern Shearer might not play in the remaining three Barclays Premiership fixtures of his final season.

"There is real concern that he has a ligament injury, and with the season running down now, that he might not be fit before the end of the season," he said. "I hope so much that is not the truth and it won't work out that way, but we are really concerned."

He added: "He's had a brace put on his knee. It was the body-weight of the man who fell on top of him that his knee couldn't take and over-stretched the ligament.

"On Tuesday, the doctors will have a look at it, a close look, and see how much swelling there is there and lack of movement.

"It will certainly be scanned and once we see the scan, I suppose there will be a decision and an opinion given on whether he's got any chance of playing in these last few weeks of the season.

"But I'll remain positive there is a chance we will still get him back on the pitch, maybe in the very last game of the season.

"I didn't really get a chance to see Alan too much in the dressing room afterwards, but he was lying on the table there looking pretty despondent, of course.

"But he was so happy with the result, he forgot his own problem for a few minutes, and he made sure he congratulated every single of our players on what was a remarkable turn-around."

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