NZ defender Ryan Nelsen to miss rest of season

Published Apr. 14, 2011 11:08 a.m. ET

foxsports

New Zealand defender Ryan Nelsen will miss the rest of the English Premier League season with Blackburn after undergoing knee surgery.

Blackburn manager Steve Kean says the 33-year-old Nelsen delayed surgery until Monday to play as many games as possible for the relegation-threatened club.

Kean says ''with good medical backup we've managed to get him on the pitch more times than we thought we would,'' adding that the central defender should be fit for the start of next season.

Blackburn is three points above the relegation zone with six games remaining.