Rovers Wait On Duo

Mark Hughes fears Aaron Mokoena suffered a broken leg in Blackburn Rovers’ 2-1 Carling Cup win over Portsmouth.


Mokoena was stretchered off in the first half at Fratton Park and will be assessed on Thursday.


He has been earmarked to replace the injured Robbie Savage in the Rovers team over the coming weeks and Hughes is anxiously awaiting confirmation of the problem.

‘It looks like something gave way in his leg and we’re worried that it is a bad injury,’ said Hughes, who also lost David Bentley to a recurrence of his shin injury in the first half.

‘We are having to wait until he’s assessed to see how serious it is, but it doesn’t look good.

‘When he first walked off for treatment it looked like just a bang, but he’s had a broken leg before.’

Goals from Benni McCarthy and Morten Gamst Pedersen clinched the fourth-round win over Pompey and Hughes praised the South African striker’s display.

The Rovers boss said: ‘I thought Benni McCarthy was absolutely magnificent.

‘He had a little period at the start of the season where he wasn’t anywhere near the levels I expect from him, but he understood that and knew he needed to work harder.

‘At first it was fitness that wasn’t right, but he had lost a bit of form as well. Now he’s back to where he should be and I took a lot of pleasure watching him.

‘His retention of the ball and his work in tight areas was a joy to watch and he was always in there looking for scoring chances.’

Hopefully we’ll be hearing some good news later but personally I fear more for Aaron than I do Bents.

Mikey Gamst