BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes has revealed Ryan Nelsen suffered a hairline fracture of his fibula during last week's win at Charlton Athletic - but still played on through the pain barrier!

The New Zealand international got injured as a result of a first half challenge at The Valley but, unaware of the damage, he played on for a further 15 minutes before finally signalling to the bench that he needed to come off.

At the time, Hughes said the defender had suffered a bang on the outside of his calf which just cramped up on him' and even suggested he had a chance of being fit for Tuesday's game with Chelsea.

It was only when the Kiwi had a scan on Monday that the full extent of the damage started to emerge.

The Rovers boss explained: "He got the injury in the first half and then he ran out for the second half, but that's the type of guy he is.

"He felt a numbness in his leg so that was pretty traumatic, but we just felt he'd banged a nerve or something and worked on that basis.

"I think he probably didn't tell us everything at the time because he was hoping to continue, but that's the type of personality he is and he's a great player because of it."

Nelsen is now expected to be sidelined for a total of six weeks, although Hughes expects him to be fit in time for pre-season training, which starts in July.

"He'll be out for six weeks, but if you are going to get a crack in your leg then now is probably the best time to do it because he can have a rest, and he's got a bit more time to recover," said the Rovers boss.

Meanwhile, Nelsen is relishing the chance to play in Europe next season after Tuesday night's 1-0 win secured a place in the UEFA Cup.

He said: "It was our goal at the start of the season (to get into Europe) and to achieve that is amazing.

"All credit to everyone; the staff, the players and the support we've had from the fans. It is the reward for all our hard work.

"The staff have laid down a foundation of a work ethic and the players have responded to that."

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