Tugay makes first start for Sam

4:01pm Sunday 28th December 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

VETERAN midfielder Tugay is handed his first start of Sam Allardyce's Blackburn Rovers reign for the visit of former boss Mark Hughes' Manchester City.

Tugay replaces David Dunn, who is out for up to a month with a hamstring injury, in the only change to the side that drew 0-0 at Sunderland on Saturday.

In-demand striker Roque Santa Cruz misses out again with a calf injury while Johann Vogel is included on the substitutes bench as he looks to revive his Ewood Park career.

Hughes makes just one change to the Manchester CCity side that hammered Hull on Boxing Day, with Nedum Onuoha replacing Micah Richards.

ROVERS: Paul Robinson, Andre Ooijer, Stephen Warnock, Chris Samba, Tugay, Ryan Nelsen, Brett Emerton, Benni McCarthy, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Keith Andrews, Jason Roberts

SUBS: Jason Brown, Zurab Khizanishvili, Johann Vogel, Aaron Mokoena, Keith Treacy, Matt Derbyshire, Martin Olsson

MAN CITY: Joe Hart, Michael Ball, Nedum Onuoha, Pablo Zabaleta, Stephen Ireland, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Robinho, Elano Blumer, Felipe Caicedo, Richard Dunne, Vincent Kompany

SUBS: Kasper Schmeichel, Micah Richards, Darius Vassell, Joao Silva, Javier Garrido, Gelson Fernandes, Daniel Sturridge