Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce admits they cannot afford to lose Manchester City target Roque Santa Cruz.

With Blackburn battling to beat the drop, Santa Cruz underlined his importance to Allardyce in Wednesday night's 2-2 draw at home to Bolton.

With Rovers trailing 2-0, the 27-year-old came off the bench just before the hour and certainly made an impact, playing his part in helping Blackburn to snatch a point.

"He came on and changed the dynamics of the game for us by the fact he is a very clever player," assessed Allardyce.

"He is six foot four, yet has great touch and great control, and he also knows where to run to find space.

"He is a massive player for us, as we all know."