IVAN Campo is set for a speedy return after surviving a horrific accident that could have seen him sidelined for months.

The Wanderers linchpin was expected to be released from hospital on Monday after a series of tests and treatment on the facial injuries he suffered in a clash of heads with team-mate Gary Speed, just 13 minutes into Saturday's 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

It was initially feared the Spaniard had suffered a serious cheekbone fracture. He had two deep gashes - one above and one below his right eye - and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

But X-rays showed no fracture and, although he needed surgery to repair damaged muscle just under his eye socket and was undergoing more detailed tests today to determined whether there was any hairline fracture, he could be back in action in two weeks.

"It's very good news," a relieved Sam Allardyce said today. "We are delighted that Ivan didn't suffer a fracture. He was very lucky.

"Although he spent Saturday evening in hospital and received a little bit of plastic surgery, he should hopefully be back in action in a fortnight."

Wanderers, already without skipper Jay Jay Okocha who failed a fitness test on the groin injury that has troubled him recently, had to regroup after losing Campo so early in the game and were further handicapped when stand-in captain Speed had to leave the field three times, first to have his head wound stitched, then to change his bloodstained kit. He went through six shirts and four pairs of shorts in the match.

But a Kevin Davies goal in overtime at the end of the first half gave the patched up Whites their first Premiership win in five attempts and lifted them to fourth place in the table on Saturday night.

Allardyce, who got impressive performances out of Speed and Stelios who were central to the midfield switches, and from Kevin Nolan and Ricardo Gardner, who were both major doubts until just hours before the game, hailed it as a triumph over adversity.

Gardner played just five hours after flying back from World Cup duty with Jamaica, and Nolan lasted all but a few seconds of the game just 12 days after undergoing an operation to have two pieces of floating bone removed from his ankle.

Nolan praised Wanderers' support staff for getting him back to action so quickly.

Nursing nothing more serious than some muscle tightening, Nolan said his ankle had stood up well. "The surgeon was a top man and did a great job," he said, "and the physio's been great.

"John Murphy, who's been doing some work with the first team but usually looks after the young lads, has been great and I have to thank him, as well as the lads on the conditioning side who got me back. I came through most of the 90 minutes and I feel great, apart from tight hamstrings probably caused by doing so much work on the bikes."

One more shirt change and Gary Speed would have lost his name.

Wanderers had a stock of six shirts printed up with "SPEED" and "6", which were all needed as referee Neale Barry rigidly applied the rule banning players wearing blood-stained kit.

They had an additional stock of number six shirts but without the lettering, which could have been used under Premier League rules.

"The next shirt would have had the number but no name and would have been ok," kit man Russell Byrne-Fraser said, "but it's taught us a lesson to pack more shirts in future."

El-Hadji Diouf has been banned for six months by the Somalia FA from playing international football, after he was sent home from their World Cup qualifier against Liberia.

Sam Allardyce decided not to play Jay Jay Okocha after facing a repeat of the dilemma he faced at West Bromwich Albion two weeks ago.

The Wanderers captain said he would play if the manager wanted him to before the Hawthorns clash, which they lost 2-1.

"That time I said yes," said Allardyce, "but after what happened at the Hawthorns, I decided to say no in case the same thing happened again, and fortunately, we haven't missed him."