BLACKBURN Rovers remain hopeful that Roque Santa Cruz will avoid knee surgery - as early signs over his recovery are believed to be promising.

The Paraguayan inter-national withdrew from his country's World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay after scans revealed he was suffering from patella tendonitis to his knees.

And the striker's decision to rest his knees - which twice required surgery during an eight-season stay at Bayern Munich - throughout the international window was taken to save him the possibility of going under the knife once again.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands that Santa Cruz's knees are reacting positively to intensive treatment, which the 26-year-old has been receiving daily at Rovers' Brockhall training ground.

But Rovers still face an anxious wait on whether former Bayern ace requires surgery, with the club no closer to putting a time-span on how long he could be out of action.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes will be hoping Santa Cruz does not face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after proving a revelation following his £3.5million summer switch from the Allianz Arena, having netted five goals in all competitions this season.