PAUL Gascoigne faced an anxious wait for an England World Cup

all-clear to face Holland next week, amid fears that his old knee injury

had flared up again.

The former Tottenham midfielder took a knock during Sunday's Rome

derby and was immediately sent to see the FA's medical specialist in

London.

But manager Graham Taylor, already without Arsenal striker Ian Wright,

insisted: ''There's nothing to get over-excited about. At the moment I'm

not over-concerned.''

But Gazza clearly was anxious at the faint indications that the right

knee he so badly injured in the FA Cup final against Nottinbham Forest

two years ago had not been completely cured by extensive surgery.

''As a precaution and to settle everyone down, we've whipped him down

to the specialist who works on behalf of the FA,'' said Taylor, who has

yet to consider the implications if he loses the hub of his team.

Gascoigne was worried when the stiffness in the knee failed to ease

four days after he suffered the knock. Taylor said: ''It may be a good

thing to show him that although he's had these operations, he can get a

knock on the knee and have nothing more than two or three days and off

you go again.'' Taylor expects to know the verdict on Gascoigne tonight.

The England manager has been plagued by minor problems. Goalkeepers

David Seaman and Chris Woods, plus Paul Ince, Lee Dixon and Carlton

Palmer, did not take part in the fitness monitoring at the Lilleshall

National Sports Centre because of knocks.

Four others were due to report last night -- Rangers midfielder Trevor

Steven, Arsenal's recalled left-back Nigel Winterburn and Manchester

United pair Gary Pallister and Lee Sharpe.

Fears that Gazza had suffered another serious injury receded when Mel

Stein, his adviser, said: ''Sending Paul to London was just a

precautionary measure to check that everything was okay. As far as I am

aware there are no problems and he is likely to train tomorrow.''