Santa Cruz set for first start in six weeks

Roque Santa Cruz will start his first game for Blackburn for six weeks as Rovers boss Sam Allardyce is without a number of players for tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Sunderland.

With fellow strikers Jason Roberts (knee) and Matt Derbyshire (groin) ruled out, Santa Cruz, who came on as a sub in last week’s 3-0 Ewood Park win over Newcastle after missing four games with a calf strain, is back in the fold.

Allardyce is also without three other players in midfielders David Dunn (Achilles) and Keith Treacy (knee), along with centre-back Andre Ooijer (groin).

French defender Gael Givet, signed on loan from Marseille earlier this month, is in line to make his debut.

Provisional squad: Robinson, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Tugay, Mokoena, Andrews, Pedersen, McCarthy, Santa Cruz, Brown, Grella, Khizanishvili, Vogel, Villaneuva, Judge, Simpson, Givet, Bunn.