Best out for six months

New Blackburn Rovers striker Leon Best has been ruled out for six months after injuring his knee in a pre-season friendly on Sunday.

Best – who signed from Newcastle for a fee of over three million pounds earlier this month – was stretchered off in the first half of Blackburn’s 2-1 win over Greek giants AEK Athens on Sunday.

A club statement said that the Irish international went for scans on Monday, which confirmed that he suffered cruciate ligament damage.

The news is a significant blow to Blackburn manager Steve Kean, who earlier watched Best score and provide an assist for the club’s other goal in the match.