ROQUE Santa Cruz will be an absentee when Blackburn Rovers begin pre-season training this morning.

Rovers manager Paul Ince will meet his Rovers charges for the first time since landing the Ewood Park hot-seat when the squad report to the club’s Brockhall training ground.

But Blackburn striking sensation Santa Cruz will not be back at Rovers until July 19.

The Paraguay international has been afforded almost a fortnight’s extra break to fully recuparate following his exertions for his country in their World Cup qualifiers.

The 26-year-old made a big impression in two crucial qualifiers for Paraguay.

Asuncion-born Santa Cruz scored the opening goal as Paraguay shocked giants Brazil with a 2-0 home victory.

The 6ft 3in target-man was on the scoresheet again on June 18 away to Bolivia but, on this occasion, his country were well beaten 4-2.

Despite that defeat, Paraguay lead the 10-team South American group after six rounds and are well placed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa.

However, while the vast majority of Rovers’ players report back to Brockhall for their first taste of pre-season training this summer, midfielders David Dunn and Steven Reid have already worked up a sweat at the club’s training headquarters.

Dunn has spent the best part of three weeks getting in shape for the new Premier League season and, likewise, Reid is working his way to peak fitness after having a clean-up operation on his knee in the early part of the summer.