BLACKBURN Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has admitted he would be interested in signing Zimbabwe international Benjani Mwaruwari providing there are no problems over his fitness.

The 32-year-old has been on trial with the English premiership side and Allardyce wants him to prove he is fully over a knee problem suffered while at Portsmouth.

"What we need to find out is if the knee can stand up to the medical," Allardyce told BBC’s Radio Lancashire.

"We know what he can do on the field of play which is reassuring."

Mwaruwari, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Sunderland before being released by parent club Manchester City earlier this summer, began his career with Jomo Cosmos in 1999.

After spending three seasons with the South African side, the 32-year-old moved to Auxerre before joining Portsmouth for £4.1m in January 2006.

The forward made over 70 appearances for Pompey before completing a move to Manchester City two years later.

His move to Eastlands almost fell through after City tried to pull out of the deal, expressing concern about a knee injury Benjani had surgery on 18 months previously.