Lincoln City manager Keith Alexander has been given the all-clear to return to work two months after collapsing with a brain haemorrhage.

And York City manager Chris Brass, who he is likely to face him on Saturday when the Imps come to Bootham Crescent, said he was pleased with his recovery, adding how it helped to bring home some of the pressures of modern-day management.

He said: "It was a shock when it initially happened because we played him in the reserves only a short while before and he looked fine. He seems to be one of those managers who is quite a cool person so it came as quite a shock.

"You do hear about managers getting stressed but then I suppose there is always at the back of your mind as a player that you are going to get injured but you don't think about it.

"It's not until something like that happens to somebody else that it comes to mind.

"I try not to think about it but it does happen and there is added pressure and stress for managers because everything is results related."

The player-boss also re-iterated his admiration of Richard Cooper, who pulled out of Tuesday night's game because he was still shaken from a car accident.

It was the second road crash in a week City players had been involved in. The other involved goalkeeper Chris Porter, who is now recovering from a calf injury.

He said: "We have been unfortunate that two of our players have been in accidents really but it is that time of year.

"The fortunate thing is that they haven't been seriously injured.

"It's another new part of being a manager. If you see the phone ringing in the afternoon and it's one of the players you are a little bit anxious.

"You wonder if something's happened, especially with a squad the size of ours - you don't want to lose any players."

Updated: 10:41 Thursday, January 29, 2004