ALAN Shearer has overhauled Carl Cort in their personal battle to be the first to return to front line action at Newcastle United.

It appeared certain that Shearer would still be on the sidelines when Cort made his first team comeback after being out since September.

But Shearer's recovery from a tendinitis operation has been so remarkable he's edged ahead of the former Wimbledon striker, who has played only five times for United since his £7m move in the summer.

Shearer had his operation at the end of December and it was feared he might be out until April, but he now hopes to be ready to face Manchester City in three weeks.

The United's skipper's dramatic progress has delighted manager Bobby Robson and eases the pressure on him to move into the transfer market.

Robson said: "Alan is at least three weeks ahead of schedule. He has set his sights on the game against Manchester City.

"It looks like Carl is a week behind Alan, but he's progressing well."

Cort has pencilled in the match at Everton as the day he hopes to renew the £22m link-up with Shearer that was last seen at Leyton Orient on September 26.

Cort, who needed an operation on an injured hamstring, originally expected to be back at the start of the year, but he was sidelined again when he picked up an infection in the wound behind his left knee.

Their absence has been a major blow for Robson, but Shearer believes United have coped superbly with the problems.

"We've had an horrendous injury list, but whatever problems we have come up against, we have beaten them," says Shearer in the latest edition of the club magazine scene "I can't promise anything about a UEFA spot. We are in a good position and must try to improve. We just have to do as well as we can.

"The most important thing is to start keeping clean sheets. We've talked about it and trained with that in mind."

United have failed to prevent the opposition scoring in 21 matches since they won 1-0 at Manchester City on September 30.

Wayne Quinn will be keener than anybody to break that dismal sequence against Southampton on Sunday - D-day for the left-back as he bids to carve out a Premiership future at the club.

It will be Quinn's last game on loan and he's desperate to land a permanent move