Blackburn Rovers FC

• Nickname:
• Founded:1875
• Manager:Steve Kean

• Ground:
• Capacity:NaN

Warnock fears Santa Cruz exit

15 Jun 2009 - 10:16:52

Click To Enlarge

Blackburn Rovers defender Stephen Warnock expects Roque Santa Cruz to leave Ewood Park this summer and is concerned that Sam Allardyce will struggle to replace the Paraguay international.

Santa Cruz is expected to sign for Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur before the transfer window closes at the end of August after enduring an injury-ravaged campaign with Rovers.

However, Warnock is concerned that a club that only just avoided relegation last season will struggle to replace a forward who found the net 23 times in the 2007-08 campaign.

"It's going to be difficult to keep Roque," Warnock told Sky Sports News.

"He's stated he wants a new challenge where he could possibly play in the Champions League and he's more than proved himself in the Premier League.

"He's a player I admire tremendously and I think he's a fantastic player.

"As to how much, if he's sold we'll just have to wait and see. Mark Hughes did a great job of finding bargain players but it's very hard to keep on doing that.

"We've got to be looking to push on for Europe, our form in the second half of the season showed that."