Rovers end winless streak after Fulham lose Dempsey
FULHAM boss Roy Hodgson is unlikely to buy in January despite losing influential midfielder Clint Dempsey to a suspected serious knee injury.
Hodgson saw Dempsey limp off as his side slumped at Ewood Park to goals from Blackburn defensive pairing Christopher Samba and Ryan Nelsen.
The in-form American midfielder is due to face England at this summer’s World Cup but his participation will be in serious doubt if Hodgson’s fear that he has damaged cruciate ligaments is realised.
“Clint will be scanned on Monday but we feel it might be a posterior cruciate knee ligament which would be very bad for us and he’d be out for a while,” said Hodgson. “It’s a very difficult market at the moment. We’ll get players back and maybe we just have to accept that.”
A first win in 13 for Blackburn eased some of the pressure on manager Sam Allardyce, although they remain just five points above the Premier League drop zone having played more than their rivals.
Samba stabbed home a scrappy opening goal after 25 minutes and, after Fulham’s search for an equaliser saw Dempsey’s overhead kick crash against the bar, Rovers sealed victory early in the second half when Nelsen glanced home Benni McCarthy’s free-kick.