Ryan Alebiosu Faces Long Injury Lay-Off for Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers’ 2-1 win over West Ham United on Saturday came with a brutal sting in the tail, as head coach Tony Mowbray confirmed that first-choice right-back Ryan Alebiosu will be sidelined for “three to four months” with a knee injury.

The defender, one of the constants in Blackburn’s Championship campaign so far, suffered the damage in last week’s defeat at Stoke City and was forced off in the first half. The initial concern has now hardened into bad news.

“He had a scan on Wednesday and it's not good news for us or for him,” Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire, outlining the scale of the setback. The scan results point towards surgery. “He looks like he's going to have an operation. Three or four months, maybe a touch longer.”

For a player who has started 14 of Blackburn’s 15 league fixtures this season, the timing could hardly be worse. Alebiosu has been central to Mowbray’s approach, driving up and down the flank, stretching games and giving Rovers an extra surge in transition.

Mowbray did not hide the emotional toll on the 22-year-old. “He's devastated. Apparently he wrote on his social medias,” the Blackburn boss said, painting the picture of a young player suddenly halted just as his season was gathering rhythm.

The loss is tactical as well as emotional. “It's a tough break for the football team because he does bring us an amazing ability to cover ground and join the attack really fast,” Mowbray added, underlining how much of Blackburn’s attacking width and energy has flowed from that right side.

Now comes the grind. For Alebiosu, months of rehabilitation. For Mowbray, a defensive reshuffle at a key stage of the campaign.

The manager knows the road back will be long and unforgiving. “He's going to have to be really disciplined and do the hard yards until he gets himself back in the new year,” he said.

Blackburn have their win over West Ham. But the battle to cope without one of their most dynamic outlets has only just begun.