ROY Hodgson is still looking to strengthen his squad from the de-luxe end of the transfer market, even though he retains an interest in Swedish striker Pascal Simpson.

The Blackburn Rovers boss stressed today that there was money to spend on major players - if they could be found - and that would not change even if he decided to make a concrete move for the AIK Stockholm player.

Simpson is due to have exploratory talks with Hodgson this weekend but the Rovers boss explained that he was quite happy with the squad he already has at Ewood. But if the right top-class player came on the market, such as Italian ace Pier Luigi Casiraghi, who Rovers tried to sign from Lazio a few weeks ago, then he would certainly try to get him.

"Basically I am very satisfied with the group of players I have got," said Hodgson, who was able to recall Colin Hendry against Bolton this afternoon and has also seen most of his other injury problems clear up.

"At the moment I have had a big headache deciding who to leave out and when Martin Dahlin comes back that headache could be even worse.

"Rather than expand on my headaches by taking even more players into the squad I might be better off at the moment sticking with what I have got.

"And then if a really top class player comes along and is prepared to move to Blackburn, that's the time we'll move in."

Simpson, available at a fee believed to be around £1.6 million, is currently recovering from surgery.

He is not expected to be fit until towards the end of January but he remains a possibility if Hodgson feels he needs more players.

"We'll have a talk to him. Obviously he's a player who's available because he's only got a year left on his contract and he's not going to be an expensive player by any stretch of the imagination," said the manager.

"And it could well be that we will decide to add to our squad.

"But that's something we'll have to look into, first of all meet with the lad and see exactly what the situation is as far as he's concerned.

"At the moment I know it's a possibility and it shouldn't be a possibility that, in any way, would break our bank or change our attitude were a player of Casiraghi's nature to become available."

Speculation will continue whenever someone comes on the market and Hodgson admitted: "We are going to be linked with different players aren't we, because we have got money to spend.

"But I don't pay a lot of attention to the linking that goes on."

"I get a little bit tired of repeating it but what I have said is that when the right player comes along and we are certain he's the right player then we'll buy him.

"In the meantime, I'll allow the various managers who are trying to sell their players to link every one of them with us and I'll allow that to go on because I've got no reason to stop it."

Roy Hodgson feels that it will be a disadvantage to England to play two of their World Cup first round group matches in Marseilles and Toulouse, because of factors such as the climate and food.

"That's where I see a great disadvantage," he said, pointing out that England would also meet North African opposition - Tunisia - in Marseilles.

On a brighter note, Hodgson felt claims that Romania were one of the top teams in Europe would be put to the sword.

"They have got some good players, they work hard but they aren't the team they were four years ago," he added.

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