THE Reebok's highly qualified sports science team have been on high alert this week, running health checks on their globetrotting international stars.

Wanderers have had players in action on three continents and are worried they may have more than just the usual round of strains and sprains to contend with. So club doctors have been taking as much interest in their medical wellbeing as their physical condition.

At a time when the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) is causing panic around the globe, they are taking no chances on the health front.

"I've seen the pictures on TV of people wearing masks in Hong Kong," assistant manager Phil Brown confirmed. "These days when players come back from the various countries you have to be aware of the problems they could be bringing into your camp.

"They don't need a full medical or anything like that but if Jay-Jay, for instance, came back with a cough or a cold or a flu bug, you need to know what it is.

"Fortunately he's suffered no ill-effects - apart from taking a full day to get back!"

In addition to Okocha, who starred in Nigeria's African Nations Cup win in Malawi on Saturday, Wanderers have had Jussi Jaaskelainen, Gudni Bergsson, Per Frandsen, Bernard Mendy, Kevin Nolan and Jermaine Johnson on international duty. No injuries or illnesses have been reported and with Simon Charlton (knee injury) back in training and Ricardo Gardner (hamstring) progressing well,SamAllardycecould

have a full squad available for Saturday's high noon showdown with Manchester City.

"We have to be very careful, especially when you've got finely tuned athletes like we've got," Brown added, voicing the management's concerns.

"Before you know it, you could have half your squad down for the Manchester City game

"These are precarious times when you are building up to a game. You don't know what injuries your players are going to come back with or what else they are going to encompass when they go abroad to various countries.

"We just have to keep our fingers crossed that we have a full squad to choose from because that has been the secret of the recent success that we've had."