BLACKBURN defender Craig Short today revealed he's facing up to the prospect of another two months on the sidelines as he battles back from a serious knee injury.

Short has already spent five weeks in rehab after undergoing surgery on a cartilage problem.

And the former Everton star has now resigned himself to the fact that it might get to early November before he's finally given the all-clear to return to first team duty again.

"It's something you just can't rush," said Short.

"The injury I've had is similar to what David Thompson had last season, although I don't think mine is quite as bad as his was.

"As part of the operation they have to drill into the bone which causes bleeding and you're then meant to leave that to harden to form a barrier.

"If you go back too early you run the risk of shaving it away and you're then back to square one back again.

"So I've got to be patient and make sure I'm right. It's a bit frustrating but it looks as though I'm going to be out for the full three months the specialist said originally."

Short was recently given permission to step up his cardiovascular work but it's going to take at least another month before he's allowed to do any running.

"I saw the specialist last week and he's normally quite a cautious guy but he said he was quite pleased with how things are going," said Short.

"All I can do at the minute is a bit of work on the bike and some stuff in the gym.

"He said I can step things up a bit and do some strengthening exercises because I've lost a bit of muscle on my left leg.

"But I can't do any running for another month or so so we are looking at the end of October before I can think about playing again."

Meanwhile, Ewood new-boy Barry Ferguson has hit back at the critics who have attacked his decision to join Rovers.

Ferguson, who was unveiled to the media at a special Press conference yesterday, has come under fire from the likes of Ian St John for choosing to sign for Blackburn.

But the Scotland skipper has hit back, saying: "You can't think it's a backward step when you see the players Blackburn have signed this season. We can go on to bigger things. There are about seven or eight midfielders here and it will be a challenge - at Rangers I was going to be playing every week whatever.

"I was playing in the first team for Rangers since I was 17, that's eight years now, and I was a bit worried about getting stale.

"I watched the kind of football Blackburn played, that was the main attraction, and the manager of course. I have always admired him a lot.

"I grew up in Glasgow and was a Rangers supporter as a kid so obviously I'm going to miss the place. No disrespect to Scotland, but there are world-class players in the Premiership and that's a big difference."

Ferguson was hoping to make his Rovers debut in today's clash with Liverpool at Ewood.