JUSSI Jaaskelainen is counting the days and is confident he will be fit for Wanderers' opening Premiership fixture at Leicester on August 18.

It will be a close call and Sam Allardyce is preaching caution but the Reebok keeper appears to be timing his comeback to perfection.

Precisely six months to the day since undergoing reconstruction knee surgery in the United States, the Finland international played all but 10 minutes of the friendly at The Shay, looking none the worse for his injury lay-off and delighting in the significance of the date.

"I've got back exactly six months after the operation," he pointed out. "January 31 ... and every day I feel better and better. I still need to work hard to be fit for the start of the season but there's still two weeks left and I think I can do it."

Allardyce saw Jaaskelainen handle well and make one impressive reaction save from Town striker Steve Kerrigan before Ian Marshall secured victory for Wanderers with an astonishing 72nd minute winner. But he has no intention of taking unnecessary risks with his number one keeper, who had to sit out the second half of the promotion campaign after damaging the anterior cruciate knee ligament in the 2-0 victory over Tranmere on January 13.

He is just content to know he was justified in sending him to the world famous Steadman Hawkins Clinic, in Vail, Colorado, where orthopaedic surgeon Richard Steadman put Ricardo Gardner on the road to a similar high-speed recovery a year earlier.

"Having seen Jussi get his first game in, all the indications look good," the manager said, "but between now and then (August 18) we just have to hope we don't have any hiccups.

"Nevertheless, a six month recovery is just amazing.

"The surgeon takes great credit for what he has done, as do all the medical staff and Jussi himself.

Boost

"He was fantastic for us last year and to see him back is a nice boost for us.

"I would have faced a daunting search if I had to look for a goalkeeper at this stage but now I don't have to."