Rome, Apr 29 (IANS): Inter Milan head coach Andrea Stramaccioni has confirmed that club captain Javier Zanetti was seriously injured and could be out of action for as many as eight months. Zanetti, however, maintained that he will not hang up boots after snapping his achilles tendon in his side's 0-1 defeat Sunday at Palermo

The Argentine pulled up after an innocuous challenge with Salvatore Aronica with only 17 minutes into play and was then stretchered off, reports Xinhua.

The initial diagnosis is a lesion to the Achilles tendon, but further tests will show how long he'll be out for. An injury of this type can keep a player sidelined for eight months.

Considering that Zanetti turns 40 in August, there are fears this could mark the end of his career.

"I am not a medic, but a lesion to the Achilles tendon does sound serious," said coach Stramaccioni.

Zanetti, though, was optimistic about his return.

"At a certain point I felt a pull and it hurt so much. It still does," he said.

"I will overcome this too."