Best faces scan after suffering knee injury

Ireland striker Leon Best will undergo a scan today to establish the seriousness of the injury he suffered in Blackburn’s friendly against AEK Athens yesterday.

Best was forced off in agony five minutes before half time and there are fears the striker, who only joined Blackburn from Newcastle last month, may have suffered another cruciate ligament injury.

Should such a gloomy prognosis prove true Best could be ruled out for the entirety of the coming season.

Best had earlier netted Blackburn’s second goal of the contest, after another new boy, Nuno Gomes, had nodded them in front.

The Greeks did pull a goal back 13 minutes from time, but Steve Kean’s side held out for a morale-boosting 2-1 success.

Meanwhile Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has criticised Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam for a heavy challenge on Gareth Bale in their goalless pre-season friendly in the United States on Saturday night.

Spurs and Liverpool played out a 0-0 draw at the M&T Bank Stadium, home of NFL franchise the Baltimore Ravens.

In a game which marked the Liverpool debut of summer signing Fabio Borini, Villas-Boas was critical of Adam, who has previous history with Bale.

In May 2011 the Scotland international injured Bale in a tackle, an incident Villas-Boas was only made aware of following Saturday’s game.

Bale was out for three months with ankle ligament damage after that incident and Villas-Boas was unhappy with Adam’s latest challenge.

Villas-Boas said: “I think it was a very nasty challenge from Charlie.

“The player had gone and he came in from behind on Gareth’s ankle. I did not know the previous history between the two. I do now.

“It is a difficult one to be fair. You do not want to end up in a game with Liverpool with 10 men.

“At half time Charlie came to me and said something about the challenge. I can accept that but I think he should go to the player to say sorry.”