BLACKBURN Rovers are assisting their former defender Alex Baptiste on the road to recovery after he suffered a double leg break.

Baptiste is set to be sidelined until the New Year after sustaining the horror injury 22 minutes into his Middlesbrough debut in a friendly at York City last month.

And his good friend and fellow centre-back Matt Kilgallon has revealed that the 29-year-old is being given a helping hand by his old club.

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Rovers defender Kilgallon said: “Baps has been coming into the training ground to get some physio.

“I’m good mates with Baps, so I’m gutted for him, but he seems positive and he’s a fit lad. He’ll be all right.

“I think he’s looking at about January time to be back. Fingers crossed for him.”

Baptiste spent the whole of last season on loan at Ewood Park from Bolton Wanderers and was a popular figure with players and supporters.

But Rovers boss Gary Bowyer’s hopes of signing the ex-Blackpool man on a permanent basis was made impossible by the club’s Financial Fair Play embargo.

Baptiste instead left Bolton to sign for Middlesbrough.

Kilgallon said: “You don’t really get that, to be honest (former players going back to their old clubs). As soon as he walked in he had a big smile on his face.

“Davo (Dave Fevre) is a good physio as well so I’m sure he’s thinking a bit of physio with him might get him back fit even quicker.”