Hughes to decide on Xavier future

Xavier has 20 Portugal caps

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has given on-trial defender Abel Xavier a week to prove he deserves a contract.

The 32-year-old Portugal international has been looking for a club since leaving Liverpool in February.

Hughes said: "I know him from my days at Everton and he was a very good player at that time.

"He has lost his way a bit but we are having a look at him. I would rather look at players first hand in training than rely on agents and videos."

Hughes added: "He's done okay but he has only had one training session so he will be here for a couple more days next week before we make a decision."

New Zealand captain Ryan Nelson will also spend a second week training with Blackburn and Hughes says that new signings are on the horizon.

"We are looking to strengthen the squad. We expect to be very busy in the next couple of weeks," he said.