Cronulla captain Paul Gallen will reportedly miss four to six weeks after being cleared of a potential NRL season-ending knee injury.

It was feared Gallen had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear and his season was over but the Sharks and NSW skipper received some good news from scan results on Sunday night, according to News Corp.

Gallen was taking a hit-up in the Sharks’ 20-14 loss to North Queensland on Saturday night when he slowed into contact in the second half.

“Good news tonight thanks for all the nice tweets & well wishes from all. Especially sharks fans but also fans from other clubs. Appreciated,” Gallen tweeted late on Sunday after scans revealed a torn posterior ligament and meniscus tear.

The 34-year-old attempted to play through the pain, taking a hit-up before signalling to the trainer that he couldn’t go on.

“It happened earlier in the game, probably five minutes before I came off. Just had a bit of a sore knee, and then had another run and it was just too sore to carry on, so I came off,” said Gallen at Sydney Airport on Sunday afternoon.

The Blues captain said he felt better and was walking pain free on Sunday.

“Obviously straight after the game you’re pretty down. On top of the loss, it compounds it,” he said.

“But waking up this morning, going into recovery and walking around, not feeling too bad. It feels a little bit brighter, and being around the boys just makes me feel a bit better too.”

This season is expected to be Gallen’s last in the NRL after the NSW and Kangaroos veteran signed a one-year extension last year.

He has previously stated he would wait until about round 10 before making a decision on his future.