ALBION midfielder Warren Aspinall has been cleared to carry on playing.

Surgery 48 hours ago on his injured right ankle was a success, although he will be out of action for around two months.

Aspinall, 33, has been sidelined since sustaining the career-threatening injury in a friendly behind closed doors against Southampton in August.

Manager Micky Adams revealed: "The surgeon has flushed the ankle out. He has also done a repair job and he does not see any reason why Warren cannot continue his career.

"From the club's point of view we are delighted for the lad."

Aspinall has been helping to run the reserve team during his absence. But he is eager to extend a career spanning 476 League games for nine clubs, including Everton, Aston Villa and Portsmouth.

"He does not want to pack the game in," Adams said. "He has helped me out enormously with the reserves, but he sees his future at the moment as a player.

"The surgeon says it will be six to seven weeks before he is anywhere near to coming back.

"He is on a month-to-month contract, but we have forgotten about that at the moment. He was injured playing for us and we just want to get him fit. There is no pressure on him. We are not going to release him."

Aspinall, signed on a free transfer from Colchester last year, said: "I have watched the lads train every day. I have been working in the gym, but you miss the banter of training.

"If I had to go out of the game I don't know what else I would do. It would kill me."