Source: Team_Talk
Aching Santa Cruz ready to step up
Roque Santa Cruz hopes to play a big role in Paraguay's World Cup campaign despite revealing a niggling injury kept him out of Monday's match.[LNB] The Manchester City striker surprisingly started on the bench in the 1-1 draw with World Cup holders Italy in Cape Town, only coming on as a late substitute.[LNB]The injury-plagued forward revealed a minor problem had convinced coach Gerardo Martino to leave him among the replacements but believes he is ready to hit the ground running now.[LNB]Asked about his absence from the starting line-up, Santa Cruz said: "It's very hard to pick players from our team, we are players playing in hard leagues and anybody can play.[LNB]"After the last friendly I finished with some discomfort in my leg and then, of course, as we have such good players there is no need to risk anything.[LNB]"I was not really 100%. I had a muscle problem and didn't know if I could play from the beginning, so I think the coach took the best solution and the right choice.[LNB]"It's been the story with injuries through all my career, not just this season!"[LNB]He added: "It's disappointing but something I've lived with through my career.[LNB]"Right now I think we have an advantage that we have such players in the team and there's no need to force people in. In the last World Cup I risked a lot to play and there's no point now.[LNB]"I hope I'll be fully fit for the Slovakia match, I felt okay against Italy when I came on felt I could have played longer.[LNB]"We've got six days between games and that should be enough to be ready."[LNB]Santa Cruz is justifiably upbeat about his side's Group F prospects in South Africa.[LNB]"We obviously want to make it into the next phase from the first stage," he said.[LNB]"We want to go at least to the quarter-finals because in Paraguayan history it's never been done. But you never know."
