Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz was relieved to appear as a substitute in the team's 1-1 draw with Italy, and is determined not to let his World Cup be ruined by the injury problems that have blighted much of his career.Paraguay needs the 28-year-old Manchester City forward to boost its attack if the team is to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time.
Santa Cruz played only the final 22 minutes of Monday's match in Cape Town, and said he was still feeling discomfort in his leg from an injury he picked up earlier this month.
"I was not really 100 percent," said Santa Cruz, who scored just three goals in 14 league appearances for City this season after a $30 million move from Blackburn. "I had a muscle problem and didn't know if I could play from the beginning, so I think the coach made the right choice."
Santa Cruz is perhaps Paraguay's best player when healthy, but he has spent long periods injured at both club and international level.
He joined Bayern Munich in 1999 as a teenager and enjoyed some stellar spells in the Bundesliga, but averaged less than 20 league matches a seasons in his eight years with the German club.
Sold on the cheap to Blackburn in 2007, he scored 19 goals in his first Premier League season. That attracted the interest of City, even after a second season at Blackburn when he played in only 20 league matches, scoring four goals.
Santa Cruz says his latest injury concern came during Paraguay's 2-0 friendly win over Greece on June 2.
"It's been the story through all my career, not just this season. It's disappointing but something I've lived with," he said.
Four years ago, Santa Cruz was a major World Cup doubt as he recovered from a knee injury. But he played in all three matches for his country as Paraguay was eliminated in the first round.
He said the difference this year was the team's stronger supporting cast, which includes 25-year-old striker Lucas Barrios.
"In the last World Cup I risked a lot to play and there's no point now," Santa Cruz said. "Right now I think we have an advantage that we have good players in the team and there's no need to force people in."
Santa Cruz said he felt pretty good after the match against Italy, and hoped to be available as a possible starter for Paraguay's next Group F match against Slovakia on Sunday in Bloemfontein.
"I felt OK in the game, and felt I could have played longer," he said. "I should have enough time to be ready."
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