SAM Allardyce has tipped Rovers new boy Steven Nzonzi to become the complete Premier League player – but warns against expecting too much too soon.

The Blackburn Rovers boss admits he is wary about throwing the young Frenchman straight into the Premier League cauldron, for Saturday’s opener against Manchester City, but fears his injury list may leave him with little choice.

With Brett Emerton, Steven Reid, David Dunn and Vince Grella all still doubtful for the visit of Mark Hughes’ big spenders, Allardyce’s options have been severely limited about his choice of central midfielders.

The Rovers boss has been hugely impressed with the 20-year-old former Amiens midfielder during pre-season but remains cautious about asking too much from the France youth international.

He said: “Steven is playing a part sooner than we expected.

"Not that we want him to. He has already shown us enough to show what we are capable of getting out of him.

“I wouldn’t want to throw him in and destroy his confidence.

"If we have to, we have to though.

“But if we don’t, he is making exceptionally good progress and he is a young man that is eager to do well.

“But it might have to be the case if we don’t get the players back. Steven Nzonzi has done really well, I didn’t really want to start him but I might have to do now. We are short with the injuries to Dunny and Vince but we will have to see where we go.”

Manchester City’s visit eagerly-awaited visit to Ewood Park on Saturday is already close to attracting a sell-out crowd, with just a limited number of tickets left, and would undoubtedly be Nzonzi’s biggest career test to date.

The towering midfielder, who was plucked from the French lower leagues for just £400,000 this summer, will be asked to go head-to-head with England man Gareth Barry – a task Allardyce insists Nzonzi has the potential to take in his stride.

Allardyce said: “As time goes by and building on those strengths, it is going to be pretty good. He is a talented player.

“People will obviously pick out his strength in the air, and consider that is all he is. But he is much, much more than that.

“As time goes by, I think we will see the complete midfield player.

"But we don’t want to really play him yet because we don’t think he is really quite ready.

“All the new players are settling in okay but if they have come from abroad it takes a bit of time.

"We are trying not to look at them for the first part of the season, maybe Steven Nzonzi has been the best of the lot in terms of how he has settled in at the moment.”