TIME is not on Roy Hodgson's side if anything is to come of his interest in Parma's Argentine striker Hernan Crespo.

And the Blackburn Rovers boss also revealed today that he is not prepared to meet the current asking price put on the head of teenage Stoke defender Andy Griffin.

Hodgson is keen to bring in a striker as he does not have much experienced cover up front for the championship run-in.

He explained that a loan for Crespo had come up as a possibility but the longer things go without any new movement from Parma, the less likely a deal.

As Hodgson revealed earlier this week, it is not a priority. But he has expressed interest.

He watched Parma play Milan last weekend and said of his trip: "It was with a view to the possibility of Crespo being allowed to come on loan with a view to a signing.

"I don't quite know where that's gone now. That changes from day to day according to how Parma see things - how they think Asprilla is going to be fit or not fit. "Of course, the longer there is doubt the less interest there will be from our side, because there are not that many matches left to play.

"It was something as cover for the immediate time and for the rest of the season.

"And, at the moment, there is a lot of doubt as to what the situation with the player Crespo will be."

Finding the right available players is a problem for all top bosses and it could be that Rovers will have to wait until the end of the season before embarking on a spree.

"In the summer there will be lots of options," he said.

"We have got a lot of money to spend and, by the summer, we'll know what the final result this season is.

"We'll know whether we are in Europe or not, whether the players who have done so well up to now have continued to do well. There will be a lot more information at hand.

"So the summer's another matter."

On Griffin, who is being tipped to join Newcastle or Leicester for £1.5 million, Hodgson said he did not agree with Stoke's price.

"If he's available and would like to come here and the price is right then I'm sure we'd take him," he said.

"But there are a lot of things there, one of the major things is what the price is going to be. "He's 18 years of age and I am sure there's not a Premiership club in the country who wouldn't like to have him on their books.

"But it depends to what extent people are going to be prepared to invest the sum of money that Stoke see as his value.

"At the moment, we wouldn't be prepared to meet the valuation I have been given." .

Meanwhile Gary Croft is likely to be counted out of Monday's FA Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday after spraining an ankle in training.

Hodgson will be tempted, in any case, to go with Jason Wilcox at left back it will almost certainly be a straight choice between Wilcox and Patrick Valery for that position.

Garry Flitcroft starts a two-match suspension but would not have been able to play anyway. He took a kick in the last match and his knee is still swollen.

Lars Bohinen is also absent with the calf injury he suffered in training.

Glenn Hoddle's assistant John Gorman was watching Rovers train at Brockhall yesterday but there was nothing particularly significant in his presence.

Gorman recently had a hip replacement operation and was visiting Rovers and England physio Alan Smith for treatment.

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