IAN Wright has been given a clean bill of health after an ankle operation this week.

The Clarets striker will therefore be fit to continue his playing career -- if he has a change of heart and decides to postpone his retirement from the game.

The 36-year-old goalscorer had been suffering from wear-and-tear in his left ankle with some pieces of floating bone causing him some discomfort.

However, that's now been sorted out and Wright won't have to take the injury, which troubled him towards the end of last season, into account when officially informing the Clarets whether or not he will take up the new contract offer at Turf Moor.

"Fitness-wise he'll be okay. It's just a case of having to wait and see," confirmed Clarets physio Ian Liversedge. "He's still one of our players until the end of the month and it had to be done regardless of whether he's playing or not. It needed doing for his future well-being.

"It was a routine clean-up and so far everything's okay, although it takes seven to 10 days just to settle down."

Wright has indicated that he's ready to hang up his boots and take on a full-time television career combined with spending more time with his family in the south of England.

But Burnley hope that he may yet extend his successful association with the club at least into the early part of next season.

Club captain Gordon Armstrong has also had some close-season surgery to get him fully fit for the new season. The defender recently underwent the same operation as Wright to flush out the ankle that caused problems last term.

With Armstrong now recuperating and Ian Cox's broken wrist expected to come out of plaster at the end of June, the Clarets should have a full turn-out when they report back for pre-season training on July 12.

Liversedge added: "We waited until the end of the season to get all the little jobs done with the aim of getting a fully fit squad for the start of pre-season.

"Now barring any accidents or injuries while they're away on holiday, which we hope they don't get, we should have a clean bill of health, which is great. If you start with that you've got a chance.

"If you start off and three or four can't do pre-season then your squad's depleted straight away."