THE suggestion that Ricardo Gardner was merely excess baggage on Wanderers' flight to the United States was rubbished this morning as the Jamaican went through his fourth consecutive day of laps, laps and more laps.

The Reebok Reggae Boy will play no part in the games, which have been scheduled to provide a competitive distraction from the grind of intensive pre-season training. But he may well emerge as one of major plusses of the trip.

Sam Allardyce cautioned: "I've no intention of putting the lad under pressure by setting dates and timescales but he is well ahead of schedule.

"You never know with this sort of injury but we don't envisage any problems."

Gardner, who has had reconstruction surgery on his knee after suffering cruciate and medial ligament damage at Barnsley in February, is restricted to straight running but he looks free and easy with his movement as he chalks off the laps in Indianapolis - some at pace, some slower, others just walking.

And the occasional smile, emphasised by the shock of dyed blond hair he now sports, is a clear indication that he is happy in his work and with his progress.

Wanderers sent Gardner to the world famous Steadman Hawkins Clinic in the skiing resort of Vail, Colorado in an attempt to ensure the young winger made not only a successful but also a speedy recovery from the injury that has threatened and ended so many careers.

He has been back to the clinic for one progress report and is due another check next month.

However long it takes to get the 21-year-old winger back on the field, Wanderers are confident he will return a better player.

"We brought Ricardo with us so that he could have one-to-one training with th physio, Mark Leather, three times a day and he's certainly benefited a lot from that," the manager explained.

"When he comes back he will be bigger, stronger and fitter and, if he can get over the mental barrier, I'm sure he will have a much greater appreciation of football and what it means to him.

"You never want anything like this to happen to anyone but Ricardo could come back a better player for having suffered the injury."