Source: Team_Talk
Emerton vows to come through hell
The 29-year-old Australian will undergo an operation in his homeland on Wednesday to repair a damaged cruciate knee ligament which is expected to keep him out for at least six months.[LNB]Emerton sustained the injury in the goalless draw at Middlesbrough on January 31 and admits it is difficult to cope with the knowledge he will not play again this season.[LNB]"I couldn't believe it when they told me I was going to be out for six months with a knee reconstruction," he said.[LNB]"I've never had a long-term injury throughout my career, so for me to face six months out is something I've never experienced before.[LNB]"I see it as another test for me, something I've got to get through and I'm sure I will.[LNB]"And I'll be back just as good as ever, if not better."[LNB]The injury means Emerton can only sit and watch Rovers' battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League and also Australia's bid to reach the 2010 World Cup.[LNB]"Hopefully the Aussie boys will qualify for the World Cup and the boys at Blackburn will rally together and stay in the Premier League this season," he added.[LNB]"It's just so disappointing because we've got a very important few months with Blackburn and with the Socceroos and it's a shame I'm not going to play a part in any of that.[LNB]"There are a lot of positives. If it was this time next year, then I'd be looking at possibly missing the World Cup.[LNB]"That would be twice as bad, so I'm trying to put a positive spin on it."[LNB]Emerton's absence means transfer window signing El-Hadji Diouf is likely to get an extended run on the right of midfield.[LNB]The Senegal international, who was signed by Liverpool in 2002 as a striker, is one of the players Sam Allardyce is looking to chip in with his fair share of goals.[LNB]Diouf has not scored in 17 matches this season but he and the rest of his Rovers team-mates are being encouraged to ease the burden on the strikers.[LNB]Roque Santa Cruz, Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts have contributed 16 of Rovers' 27 league goals and Allardyce believes they should be getting more support.[LNB]"We definitely need more goals from elsewhere," the Rovers boss told the Lancashire Telegraph.[LNB]"The strikers are paid to score goals and they get the headlines when they do, and quite rightly so.[LNB]"Other attacking-minded players have to come up with a few more goals to take the pressure off the forwards.[LNB]"Around your team you need midfielders with four or five goals, players in wide areas with five or six, centre-halves with three or four.[LNB]"That gets you to the total that gets you more points on the board.[LNB]"We have the players to score goals from all over the team and now is the time we need these players to show that."[LNB][LNB]
