ROVERS' birthday boys Ryan Nelsen and Robbie Savage have handed Mark Hughes a welcome boost ahead of the visit of Reading this weekend.

Kiwi international Nelsen, who is 30 today, has been struggling with a hamstring injury he picked up in the UEFA Cup defeat in Greece against Larissa last month.

Some old scar tissue had worked its way loose and had been causing Nelsen a problem.

And Savage, who celebrates his 33rd birthday today, has shaken off a hefty whack he got against Birmingham, in the same place he broke his leg against Watford last season.

But both have trained through the international break this week and will be available for selection to face the Royals at Ewood.

It will give manager Mark Hughes a welcome selection headache as the Premier League returns following a week of internationals.

And there is a chance that striker Roque Santa Cruz could be fit to play some part in Saturday's game.

Rovers' leading scorer so far this season, with five goals in all competitions, missed Paraguay's World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay with tendonitis in his knees.

The 26-year-old striker revelaed he had been receiving pain-killing injections in his knees for a couple of weeks before the international break.

But after a week's intensive treatment at Brockhall, Santa Cruz has made excellent progress and may play a part.