Blackburn midfielder Brett Emerton insists the departure of striker Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City will not have a detrimental effect on the squad.
The Paraguay international completed a long-anticipated £17million transfer to Eastlands on Monday having expressed his desire to leave Ewood Park in December.
Emerton told the Lancashire Telegraph: "I am sure the squad will be full of confidence at the way we finished the season, it was European form, and with players coming back and a few new signings it will be like a new start."
Santa Cruz struggled with injury last season and played just 11 matches in 2009, being sidelined completely from early March. It was in stark contrast to his maiden campaign with Rovers the previous year when he scored 23 goals.
The sale of striker Matt Derbyshire to Olympiacos on Wednesday means manager Sam Allardyce needs to strengthen his attacking options but Emerton is not concerned.
"Roque has been fantastic for Blackburn Rovers," said the Australia midfielder, who is confident of being fit for the start of the season having ruptured a cruciate knee ligament in January.
"He is a great player and a great guy and we will miss him but these things happen in football, players come and players go
"If you look at how the team finished last season, they did it without the injured Roque and without Matt Derbyshire.
"You also had players like myself, Steven Reid and David Dunn who were injured."
Derbyshire's four-year deal with the Greek champions was completed on Wednesday.
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I read Rovers try to sign Oscar Cardozo...
hope that news is trus ^^
santa cruz was a one season wonder and definately not a hero as a hero tends to love the club there at rather than alwaays wanting to engineer a move to a supposedly better club,tugay he is a hero he loved the club and gave us many great years through the good and bad.17 million was good business yes we could have had a few milion more but good on rovers in not been bulied into letting a player go when he might still have been used in the fight to stay up.so come on sam do us proud make some quality signings and yes kevin davies is not one we want.
We were never offered 25m or of course we would have taken it! and Chris W, SC was not a hero at Blackburn, he was a one season wonder, and Man City are not a much better club than Blackburn, just much more wealthy! When we came into a bit of money (thanks Jack) We won the Premier league (with one non Brit)! Lets see if city can do the same. Hero? Try Clayton, Douglas, Garner, Shearer but SC?! May as well add Bellamy, Neil and Him who went to Spurs to play in Europe when he was already playing for England! Forgoten his name 'cos he can't even get a game at spurs! Ha!
should av took the 25 wen offerrd he was always gonna go but was he worth it noooo lol muppits wiv too much money, signings like that will get hughsy the sack lmao better club pmfl
G, are you a BRFC fan by any chance?, Santa Cruz was a hero at Blackburn, some fans are so quick to slag off ex-players, esp when they are signed by a much better club!.
Doesn't anyone on their squad wanna say good riddance to bad rubbish? I still can't believe they got 17mil for him after last season. I'm interested to see how they spend the money, Allardyce will no doubt bring in some talent.
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