Hughes' Bellamy worry

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes is facing a striker crisis ahead of their Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United, with a big doubt over Craig Bellamy.

Rovers and United do battle at Old Trafford on Wednesday with the tie on a knife edge after a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park in the first leg.

With a major final just a game away, Hughes is struggling on the injury front with Paul Dickov dislocating a shoulder in the 1-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday.

Bellamy was suspended for that match, but he may also miss out on the semi-final as he is struggling with a troublesome hamstring injury.

"We have to be mindful of Craig's problem," said Hughes.

"It's not something that has cleared up as yet, so we have to be careful, and we will be.

"But given the type of player he is - dynamic, explosive - that will always put a strain on his hamstrings, so we will have to play it by ear and see which way we go with it.

"We just have to try to make sure we get him back as soon as we can.

"He has trained a couple of days, and hopefully there's no reaction and he will be fit and well for the game.

"It is still a concern, but he will be travelling with the squad."

David Bentley could now be the man to partner Shefki Kuqi up front on Wednesday, with Hughes not wanting to bring Paul Gallagher back from his loan stint at Stoke and Matt Jansen joining Bolton.

Hughes faces a tough decision for the game as Blackburn have to score, with United having the slight edge with their away goal counting after extra time should the contest end goalless.

One bright point for Hughes is the news that Dickov's injury is not as bad as they initially feared.

"He saw a specialist yesterday and he has come back with a better report than we initially thought," added Hughes.

"At one point we thought he could be out for 10 to 12 weeks, but it's now more likely to be four to six - and knowing Paul as we do he will be back in three.

"But he has dislocated it, and there's a little crack as well. It's a painful injury and it will need to settle down.

"Once Paul can cope with the level of pain then he will soon be back playing.

"Recalling Paul [Gallagher] is an option we have looked at and it may be something we have to do, but we are not at that situation yet."

Meanwhile, Blackburn are reported to have dropped their interest in Uruguayan midfielder Gonzalo de los Santos.

De los Santos is looking for a new club after leaving Valencia and he had linked up with Rovers last week for a short trial.

However, Hughes is thought to have shelved his interest in de los Santos and will look elsewhere to bolster his squad.