Source: Daily_Mail
Knee injury rules Emerton out for the rest of Blackburn's season
Blackburn [LNB]have been dealt a major blow after midfielder Brett Emerton was ruled out for the rest of the season.[LNB]The Australia international was injured in Saturday's goalless draw at Middlesbrough and will have surgery on cruciate knee ligament damage, which will rule him out for six months. [LNB]Blackburn blow: Brett Emerton won't be seen in a Rovers shirt again this season[LNB] Conveniently, Rovers have just signed El-Hadji Diouf from Sunderland and he can take Emerton's place wide on the right. [LNB]However, the loss of one of his more versatile players will be a major frustration for manager Sam Allardyce as he continues to fight against relegation from the Barclays Premier League. [LNB]The manager has been boosted by injury-plagued midfielder David Dunn pledging to play through the pain to secure top-flight safety this season. [LNB]Dunn, who replaced Emerton on Saturday, has struggled all season with an Achilles problem which required an operation and kept him out for nearly four months. [LNB]The 29-year-old said the after-effects of that surgery continue to cause him some discomfort but he would not let it get in the way of the relegation battle. [LNB]Rovers' stalemate at the Riverside dropped them back into the bottom three and although they are 18th in the table, only five points separates them from 10th-placed Manchester City. [LNB]'I had a little bit of a setback on the operation I had on the Achilles the other month," said Dunn, who was not expected to feature against Boro. [LNB]'It just flares up now and again and is pretty painful to play. 'Earlier last week I wouldn't have thought I was anywhere near to getting a run out. [LNB]'I am going to have to put up with it for a while. There might be a few times when I am in and out but long term nothing to worry about.'[LNB] DEADLINE DAY: All the breaking transfer window moves and news as it happens[LNB]Manchester City fail to take up £25m option to buy Blackburn's Santa Cruz[LNB]Ince rues not having time to shine at Rovers but insists he'll wait for right job[LNB]BLACKBURN ROVERS FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NET[LNB] [LNB]
