Blackburn Rovers FC

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Ince relishes Roque return

13 Nov 2008 - 09:15:28

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Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz earned praise from boss Paul Ince after scoring in the 2-1 Carling Cup fourth round victory at Sunderland.

The 27-year-old Paraguay international has been struggling with a hamstring injury in recent weeks, but came off the bench at the Stadium of Light to help Rovers into the last eight of the competition.

Afterwards, Ince beamed: "Roque wanted to start, but I don't think he is quite there yet.

"Whatever the score had been, he was always going to play some minutes on the pitch, 20 or 35.

"I'm not sure if it was his first touch, but it was important to get him on because we have been playing well this season, our build-up play has been excellent but in that final third, we have lacked that clinical touch.

"He gives us that. We will see how he comes out of it, but he looked sharp when he came on.

"He needs games. It has been a stop-start season for Roque, but if he plays games, he will score goals, as he did last year.

"It was nice for him to get a goal."