IF ever there was a week to prove that football is a funny old game then this week would be a classic example.

First, we had the high at Ewood Park of beating Birmingham City for the second time in quick succession. But the supporters' celebrations had just died down and we were hit with the news about striker Roque Santa Cruz.

It's still early days yet, but if the rumours are right and he's out for up to six weeks, then he'll be a big loss. He's been brilliant and we'll definitely miss him.

Mark has replacements who can come in, like Matt Derbyshire and Maceo Rigters.

This will put extra pressure on them, but I think it will also help to take the pressure off Benni McCarthy. In contrast to Cruz, he hasn't enjoyed the best of starts, but he got the goal at the weekend and everyone will be hoping he can make that place up front his own and get back to the goal-scoring form of last season.

All the talk has been about Roque, and quite rightly so, maybe Benni can have a revival if he has the chance to take centre stage again.

From the way Roque started, it was like he was going to bang in 15 to 20 goals and supply the passes for players round about him to get a few as well. There were worries about him when he came across, about whether he was fit and whether he could do the business in the Premier League, but I think he's proved all his doubters wrong.

It's a little worrying that it's his knees that are affected by this tendonitis because that's an area where he had trouble with in the past during his time with Bayern Munich.

But technology is so advanced these days, it's come on leaps and bounds, that they should be able to clear that up in no time at all.

I remember when I played at Ewood Park, during my time at Rovers I only ever had one serious injury. That was when I had a double hernia operation. I was out for 12 weeks with that, which was a nightmare.

But look at Michael Owen. He had a hernia op and he was back within 10 days and scoring for Newcastle.

Let's hope big Roque can have a similar recovery time.