BLACKBURN defender Lorenzo Amoruso claims he carried his knee injury for months before going under the knife - and that is why his form slumped.

The Italian went under the knife last month and is expected to be sidelined until January.

Before undergoing the operation he and former Rangers team-mate Barry Ferguson had been criticised for their displays and some critics questioned whether they were good enough to make the transition to the Premiership.

But Amoruso has put their disappointing spell down to a combination of injury and needing time to settle at their new club.

He said: "I was very happy and doing great then, just before the first game of the season, I had a strange injury and the knee kept going all the time.

"I was playing the games but I wasn't 100% and then I got to the point where I couldn't bend or run properly.

"Three or four weeks ago, I went for the scan and there was a little damage in the cartilage so we took the decision to have the operation."

Amoruso added: "Myself and Barry got hammered by some of the press and there were some mistakes but don't forget that I had the injury and Barry was coming back from an injury.

"We needed a bit of time to settle in. A new club, new team-mates - it's not as easy as people think."