Shearer ‘desperate’ to enter fray

GRAEME SOUNESS claims Alan Shearer is “desperate” to get back into action to change the course of Newcastle’s troubled season.

The St James' Park boss insists his players are hurting badly after stumbling to yet another defeat at Liverpool and that Shearer's return for their St Stephen's Day trip to Blackburn could be the boost they need.

For Souness and Shearer, the Ewood Park visit is a return to their former clubs, Souness leaving the team in September to replace Bobby Robson while Shearer's goals took Rovers to the championship in the 1994-1995 season. And although Shearer has made it clear he still aims to retire from playing in the summer, his goals now are crucial to Souness and the salvage job he is faced with at Newcastle, who have taken just 16 points from their last 13 matches.

Souness said: "you achieve nothing without effort and that is what we must show now. We are having a difficult time and everyone has to stand up and be counted.

"There are a lot of players in our dressing room who are really hurting over what has been happening to us and they want to put things right."

Shearer, who has been suffering with a thigh problem, is close to a return while Craig Bellamy who pulled out at the last minute at Anfield should also be fit to partner the veteran hitman at Blackburn.

Souness added: "Craig got a bang just at the top of his backside at the end of the UEFA Cup game on Thursday and didn't train for two days. He felt he would be OK to play at Liverpool, but when he went out in the warm-up he said it didn't feel right and he couldn't handle it.

"Every time he went to pass the ball or kick it he felt he was in too much pain.

"I would think Craig would be OK for the next match and we certainly have a chance now with Alan Shearer maybe fit for the game at Blackburn.

"He is desperate to get back and we are desperate to have him back and I think he has a real chance for the Blackburn game now."

Souness was also without Nicky Butt, Stephen Carr, Aaron Hughes and Ronny Johnsen at Anfield so the loss of Bellamy was a bitter blow.

But Souness said: "I do not want to talk about the players who were missing because we had enough people in the side who are considered good players to be able to cope with the situation.

"We have to stand up and be counted and we will see what we are all made of in the coming weeks.

"We are under no illusions about what is expected of us at Newcastle, and now is the time for showing what we are made of."