Blackburn Rovers: Hayden Carter opens up about knee injury

The defender has not featured since suffering a knee injury during the goalless draw against West Brom in October.

Carter was in good form prior to the injury, impressing alongside Dom Hyam in the Rovers backline, and admitted that the timing was tough to take.

However, he is starting to feel more positive after getting back in the gym and stepping up his rehabilitation.

“It is four weeks post operation now and I think I have got past the toughest part where I am stuck not being able to move, walk or drive,” he told RoversTV.

“I am off the crutches and moving a lot better. I have started to do things in the gym and am feeling a lot more positive about it.

“It is probably more frustrating because there is not much that I could have done about it, it is just one of those things. I will do everything do get back as quickly as I can.

“I had something similar in the past where my knee locked and once it unlocked I was fine, I trained on it the day after. At first, I thought it was like that but this time it was a bit worse.”

Injuries are a tough part of the game but the 24-year-old considers himself fortunate that his knee issue was not more severe.

Carter knows he has to be patient in the early stages of his recovery to make sure that he comes back in the best condition possible.

The centre-back is grateful for the help and support he has received from the club and is eager to keep progressing in the right direction.

“No-one wants to hear they will be out for three months or however long it is going to be. The day I went for the scan, I thought it would be a lot worse to be honest,” he recalled.

Carter is hungry to come back from injury even stronger (Image: CameraSport - Dave Howarth)

“It is my first proper knee injury so I didn’t know what it was supposed to feel like. When I was told three months, it is frustrating but I was quite relieved at the same time.

“The physios have done a really good job. I had the scan the next day after it happened and then had the surgery on the Saturday. It was a really quick turnaround and now I am back on the move.

“The first part is putting weight back through it, trusting it and getting some sort of range that I am allowed to get to.

“It is a slow burner but hopefully towards the end of the rehab is where I can catch up and get back quicker.

“If I rush this part, it might not heal so I need to make sure that I do it properly. Hopefully, I can catch up some time once I know that everything will be fine with it.”

Summer signing Danny Batth has slotted into the side seamlessly in his absence and Eustace’s side have now kept back-to-back clean sheets against dangerous opposition.

Having to watch from the sidelines while his team-mates continue to impress in the Championship is bitter-sweet for Carter, who is desperate to be in the thick of the action.

The Academy graduate also spent a couple of months on the sidelines earlier this year, missing the first weeks of Eustace’s tenure.

However, Carter can take encouragement from his consistent form between the injuries which reinforced his standing in the Rovers squad.

“It is extremely frustrating. I have played every game that I have been able to,” he continued.

“I had some frustrating time out at the start of the year and was hoping to get a clean run this season, but it wasn’t to be. I will work as hard as I can in the gym to come back stronger than before.

“If I had only played a few games and this happened, I would be a lot more worried but I know the manager now.

“I was injured when he came in and he has been good with me. I just want to get fit as quickly as I can and get back to help the team.

“At first, it was between 12 and 16 weeks so hopefully I can get that as close to 12 weeks as I can.”