Neill’s yellow card against United stands

BLACKBURN defender Lucas Neill’s yellow card from the Worthington Cup semi-final first leg with Manchester United will stand.

The Rovers defender was booked for diving by referee Uriah Rennie following a challenge with United’s Mikael Silvestre towards the end of the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Neill protested his innocence after the game, but Rennie’s report to the Football Association has confirmed the booking. Rennie’s report included no indication he would review the yellow card and Neill, who has totalled five bookings this season, will miss the return leg at Ewood Park on Wednesday, January 22.

Meanwhile, Blackburn’s England midfielder David Dunn has visited a specialist to try and sort out his troublesome calf injury.

The 23-year-old was put on stand-by for England’s World Cup squad after impressing last season and made his full international debut in the 1-1 draw against Portugal at Villa Park in September.

However, Dunn has been out for several weeks with the problem and although he returned to action in Rovers’ FA Cup win over Aston Villa, he lasted less than 20 minutes at Old Trafford on Tuesday night before being replaced by Keith Gillespie. He has now travelled to Oxford in an attempt to get to the bottom of the problem.

Rovers’ boss Graeme Souness said: “The doc is currently on course in Oxford and he’s taken Dunny with him so a couple of other people can have a look at him.

Souness added: “But whether that will help to shed any further light on the problem or not, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Rovers hope to have midfielder David Thompson fit for tomorrow’s Barclaycard Premiership match at

Sunderland.

Thompson netted Rovers’ equaliser in the first-leg of their Worthington Cup tie against Manchester United on Tuesday night, but was forced off a few minutes later after twisting his ankle.

Rovers, though, expect Thompson to have recovered in time to take his place in the starting line-up at the

Stadium of Light.

Rovers boss Graeme Souness will request a personal hearing in response to being charged by the FA.

Souness was on Wednesday charged with “improper conduct and abusive and/or insulting language” to match officials during Rovers’ Worthington Cup quarter-final at Wigan last month.