Allardyce rules out Roque

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has ruled striker Roque Santa Cruz out of Paraguay’s forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino this week named Santa Cruz in his squad for the matches with Uruguay and Ecuador on March 28 and 31.

That is despite the fact the 27-year-old will miss a third consecutive Barclays Premier League game, at home to West Ham tomorrow, with a knee tendon problem.

Paraguay are understood to be sending a delegation across, the team doctor and kinesiologist, to check on Santa Cruz’s fitness.

But a dismissive Allardyce said: “We will obviously tell them he is not capable of travelling.

“They are due to pay a visit, and we will have the discussion, but Roque is not fit to play any game of football until, at the very, very earliest, against Tottenham (first weekend in April).

“It could be beyond that, so I can’t see him going to Paraguay because he is not capable of playing.”

Allardyce is confident Santa Cruz will be back some time after the international break, adding: “I think he’ll be back this season.

“He is responding to treatment, but a lot slower than we expected,

“He is a talented player, we all know that, but I’ve managed without before as he was injured when I arrived.”