ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: MANCHESTER CITY v WEST HAM:MARK HUGHES has insisted Roque Santa Cruz, the forgotten man of Manchester City's summer spending programme, does have a future at Eastlands.

Since first expressing an interest in the Paraguayan striker, who was then with Blackburn, the City manager has waited 15 months to see him play in a sky-blue shirt. That wait is likely to end this evening when Santa Cruz makes his City debut against West Ham United.

Although Craig Bellamy and the suspended Emmanuel Adebayor are ahead of the Paraguayan in terms of form and fitness, Hughes said the €19 million he spent on Santa Cruz would prove a sound investment, even though he has not played since March because of a knee injury.

“I like what he gives us,” said Hughes, who arranged a friendly match against his home-town club, Wrexham, in order to test Santa Cruz’s fitness. “He is a big guy, his physical presence is important for us, because we are not the biggest team in the world up front.

“I blew all my budget on him when I was at Blackburn and that shows you what I thought of him. He did wonderfully there and if he can replicate even half of that then he will be good value.”

It was as much his mental strength, learnt at the top of the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, as much as his ability to provide Blackburn with a goal every other game that made Hughes keep faith in the 28-year-old.

“Roque has been at the biggest club in Germany so he is used to performing under pressure at a club with a big profile. He has the mentality I need.”

Hughes added that the Football Association’s decision not to charge Gary Neville for the way he celebrated United’s winner in the Manchester derby gave him hope Adebayor would not face a further suspension for his celebrations against Arsenal earlier this season.

(-Guardian Service)