NEWCASTLE United threw in the Champions League towel last night when they resigned themselves to being without Alan Shearer for their next two European games.

With Newcastle already facing a huge battle to qualify for the quarter-finals after the 4-1 defeat to Internazionale, they will enter matches at Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen without Shearer or Craig Bellamy after they decided yesterday not to appeal against their captain's ban.

With Bellamy likely to be suspended for three matches following his sending off against Inter last Wednesday, Sir Bobby Robson faces the thankless task of trying to keep alive Newcastle's Champions League dream without his first-choice strikeforce.

The deadline for a Shearer appeal against his two-game ban with UEFA was yesterday evening, but he has accepted his punishment and will now suffer an enforced lay-off from Champions League action until Leverkusen visit St James' Park on February 26.

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd said: "After careful consideration, and in full agreement with the player and manager, the club have decided not to appeal against Alan Shearer's two-match ban from the Champions League.

"If any disciplinary action is taken, this will be dealt with privately between the club and the player."

Shearer was adamant after Wednesday's game that he had no case to answer, but his hopes of avoiding a ban were undermined when referee Stephane Bre revealed that he would have sent off the striker had he seen the contretemps.

On the evening, Bre was content to lecture Shearer and Cannavaro, who was caught on the back of the head by the Newcastle captain's flailing arm as they jostled at a free-kick.

Shearer won a reprieve last season after a red card shown following a clash with Charlton Athletic's Jon Fortune was rescinded, but his reaction to being held in a bearhug by Cannavaro earned the wrath of UEFA last Friday after they reviewed video evidence of the incident.

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