CHRIS WISE Robert Green has been given a clean bill of health after being stretchered off wearing a neck brace during the closing stages of Saturday's FA Cup tie against West Ham.

CHRIS WISE

Robert Green has been given a clean bill of health after being stretchered off wearing a neck brace during the closing stages of Saturday's FA Cup tie against West Ham.

There was genuine concern for the Norwich City keeper's welfare when he took a fearful blow in the head from Marlon Harewood's knee as he went for a 50/50 ball.

He required over six minutes of treatment on the pitch before play could continue - and was then taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for a thorough check-up, including an X-ray.

That mean an anxious wait for everyone connected with the club, but the good news is that Green suffered no serious damage and told City physio Neal Reynolds yesterday that he was feeling “okay.”

The player will continue to be monitored by specialists in the lead-up to City's next game at Plymouth on Saturday afternoon, and it's too early to say yet whether he will be able to play in that game.

Green will certainly be hoping to make it, having not missed a match through injury in almost four years, but it will be left to the experts to decide whether he is ready to take his place between the sticks, with Darren Ward likely to be kept on alert throughout the week just in case.

Manager Nigel Worthington was adopting a wait and see approach on the player's fitness after learning he had been released from hospital at 7pm on Saturday.

“He is an important part of what we are trying to do here so hopefully he will be back sooner rather than later,” he said.

As for the incident itself Worthington said no blame should be attached to Harewood, before admitting he was keeping his fingers crossed after seeing players stretchered off in each of City's opening two games of 2006.

“It was a case of two players with their eye on the ball coming together,” he said. “There was a collision and Robert took a nasty jolt.

“We've had one here last Monday with Adam Nowland of Preston and now another one today - it's another very unfortunate accident. Hopefully that's the end of it for this year as far as these sort of situations are concerned.”

Before Saturday's game Green had been linked with a move away from Carrow Road, with one national newspaper suggesting Charlton were preparing a cash plus player deal for the England keeper and another claiming he could be a replacement for want-away Mark Schwarzer at Middlesbrough.