Wales striker Craig Bellamy will be out for several weeks with a knee injury, Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson confirmed today.
Bellamy, scorer of nine Premier League goals this season, has been told he will have to rest for nearly a month before he can play again for Newcastle, who lie second in the league.
That rules Bellamy out of Premiership matches against third-placed Arsenal and Liverpool and their FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal.
"He's got a small tear in his knee. He has a touch of tendinitis and there is inflammation," said Robson.
"It's a crucial blow to us. We don't know how long Craig will be out, but we could be talking about several weeks. It depends on how it heals.
"It's a similar injury to the one Alan Shearer had, but not as serious, and we have to get it right," Robson said.