What Blackburn Rovers star Lewis Miller has said about 'cruel' situation he faces | OneFootball

Lewis Miller is expected to miss the rest of the season after rupturing his Achilles in Blackburn's away victory over QPR

Blackburn Rovers defender Lewis Miller has taken to Instagram to send a message to supporters following the confirmation of his injury, which will see him spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Blackburn got off to winning ways under new boss Michael O’Neill at the weekend with a 3-1 victory away to Queens Park Rangers, courtesy of a brace from Mathias Jorgensen and a strike from Ryoya Morishita.

Rovers fans will be hoping that this is the first win of many under the Northern Irish boss, who, alongside remaining in his role as his country’s men’s national side boss, has undertaken the role at Ewood Park following the dismissal of Valerien Ismael.

For their victory over QPR, Australian defender Lewis Miller replaced Dapo Afolayan at half-time, though he would last less than ten minutes on the pitch before being forced off with an injury, and one that will see him miss almost the rest of the year.

As confirmed by Blackburn, Miller has ruptured his Achilles and undergone surgery, which will see him out of action for around nine months, a devastating blow for him and the club, especially with it being a World Cup year.

Miller made the move to Ewood Park in the summer from Scottish side Hibernian, and has been a mainstay in the side since then, making 29 league appearances, scoring twice and assisting twice from either centre-back, right-back, or right wing-back prior to his injury.

Lewis Miller sends out a defiant message to Blackburn Rovers fans in the wake of his devastating injury

Miller had emerged as an important member of the Blackburn side this season under Ismael and looked as though that would remain the case under O’Neill, but fate would appear to have different plans for the Aussie.

The 25-year-old would have almost certainly been included in Australia’s squad for the upcoming World Cup, but now, will have to wait until 2030 to potentially represent his home nation in front of a global audience, in what can only be described as a brutal blow for Miller.

Following the confirmation of his injury, the defender took to Instagram to send a defiant message to Blackburn supporters.

In a short statement, Miller said, "Simply no words. You best believe I’ll be back better than before, that’s a promise," clearly outlining his intent to not let this setback get the best of him, but instead get the best of it.

Blackburn find themselves embroiled in a battle towards the bottom of the table, sitting three points above the drop zone as things stand, and will have to try and secure survival without the option of Miller on the pitch now.

Despite victory, it’s certainly not been an ideal start to life in Lancashire for O’Neill, who must quickly find a solution to Miller’s absence, with the former Premier League champions far from safety just yet.

Indeed, O’Neill is no stranger to the Championship, having spent just shy of three years in charge of division rivals Stoke City between November 2019 and August 2022.

The 56-year-old guided the Potters through choppy waters following his arrival, comfortably guiding the club to safety in his first season in charge and having to contend with financial issues for much of his time at the helm.

It’s not too dissimilar to a position he finds himself in at Blackburn now, as supporters of the Lancashire outfit will be hoping that he can use his experience of his time with Stoke to help guide them to safety.

Although the Northern Irishman will now have to deal with this task without the option of Miller, which certainly makes it all the more difficult.