Harry Pickering is hoping to be back for Blackburn Rovers in March as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

The defender has missed the last six games after going off against Millwall on December 21. He was ruled out for three months with an posterior cruciate ligament injury forcing Rovers to look for cover in the transfer market.

Whenever any players picks up a knee injury, the obvious fear is an ACL which would've ended Pickering's season and potentially beyond. He has largely remained injury free during his Rovers career and so this was a shock.

"It was a bit of a shock but I have come to terms with it," he explained.

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"I just have to get my head down, come in every day and try to get back as soon as possible. I felt it beforehand and then it eased off and then I carried on and I felt it again.

"It sort of collapsed on the pitch. It was one where I knew it wasn't good but it could've been worse. You have to look at the positives and keep working hard.

"It's not nice not knowing how bad it is and you're hoping for the best, doing research. Probably not the best route to go down. Once you've had the scan, you can break it down into blocks and crack on.

"The fear is always the worst-case scenario which is the ACL. Three months isn't good but it's better than it could've been. It's the longest one I've had and there are so many games you're missing."

The March international break is a realistic aim for Pickering to get into the first-team picture. He will need time to train once he's given the all-clear.

"I'm in a brace now and then I'm hoping to get out on the grass," he said,

"I've sat down with the physios. I've got another three weeks of this and when I get this off, I can start seeing real progress and get in the grass three or four weeks after that.

"I'll have a good two-week block on the grass and then hopefully get back in."