THE million pound transfer of Chris Smalling to Manchester United will go ahead even if the Fulham defender suffers serious injury between now and the end of the season.
There is no get-out clause in the contract of the 20-year-old who swaps the more homely surrounds of Craven Cottage for the might of Old Trafford in May.
In fact, should the worse happen and Smalling incur something like season-wrecking cruciate damage - he will have done so with Sir Alex Ferguson's blessing. The only time the Manchester United manager has forbidden the centre-back to play is when Fulham visit the Reds on March 14.
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson revealed that cancelling the deal, because of an injury to the player who's only made eight appearances in a white shirt, never arose.
He said: "Sir Alex is also realistic to know he'll be playing a lot of football between now and the end of the season - and things can happen.
"The question of Chris being injured never came up. And knowing Chris as I do, he'll play well for us until he goes because it takes pressure away. His future's been even more finely tuned by joining Man U."