BLACKBURN manager Sam Allardyce hopes Roque Santa Cruz is not suffering any hangover after failing to reunite with Mark Hughes this month.

For the first time in six weeks, striker Santa Cruz returns to Rovers’ starting lineup for today’s FA Cup clash with Sunderland.

Santa Cruz was back in the picture in last Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle, playing the final 20 minutes after missing the previous four games with a calf strain.

But with Jason Roberts and Matt Derbyshire injured, Santa Cruz gets to start under Allardyce, who earlier this month rejected a reported £16million bid from Manchester City for the Paraguay star.

The 27-year-old was understood to have been keen on a move to City, where former Rovers boss Hughes has spent £42million this month on Nigel de Jong, Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bridge, as well as failing with an audacious £107million move for Kaka.

The question for Allardyce is whether Santa Cruz will be mentally switched on today.

‘‘He has a contract with Blackburn and so he has an obligation to play when selected, and that’s what I expect Roque to do,’’ insisted Allardyce.

Allardyce, though, has not entirely ruled out City increasing their offer for Santa Cruz before the window shuts on February 2.

‘‘There’s been no movement, no communication between ourselves and Manchester City for the last few days now,’’ added Allardyce.

‘‘I’m not expecting anything further, so we are where we are with him. We want him to stay.”

With Santa Cruz seemingly staying put, and no money to spend, it means Allardyce is only shopping in the loan market.

That rules out a £6m swoop for Red Bull Salzburg forward Marc Janko, and Barcelona’s Eidur Gudjohnsen, a striker Allardyce knows well from their time together at Bolton.

‘‘It would be lovely to have Eidur with me at Blackburn,’’ added Allardyce.

‘‘Whilst he might not be a regular at Barcelona at the moment, it is somewhere he still enjoys living and playing.

‘‘So from that point of view, it would be very difficult for him to come here.”