Shay Given will be discharged from hospital tomorrow morning and his Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder is hopeful the player can return to training in six weeks.

The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper has spent the last five nights in a London hospital following surgery to repair a tear in his bowel.

The 30 year-old was injured in a challenge with West Ham striker Marlon Harewood during his club's 2-0 win over the Hammers on Sunday .

Given is expected to be out for a minimum of six weeks and will definitely miss the Republic of Ireland's European qualifiers against Cyprus and the Czech Republic early next month.

It may be six weeks before the Donegalman is back training but could well be another two before he is playing again so he is unlikely to be match fit in time for the game against San Marino in November.

Roeder said:  "Shay will be leaving hospital in the morning and be travelling back up to Newcastle.

"He has started to feel a lot better over the last couple of days. Even after the operation, he was in a fair amount of pain from surgery and needed to keep taking the pain-killers.

"I have spoken to him every day and he is feeling a lot better."

"Once we get him back up here at the weekend, then probably early next week, he can come back to the training ground," says Roeder.

"I know the surgeon and he said he had done a neat and tidy job, made the incision as small as possible so he can recover as quickly as possible.

"We are probably looking at around six weeks until Shay will be fit again."

Given's international colleague Kevin Doyle has been passed fit to play for Reading against Manchester United tomorrow.

The striker suffered a dead leg in last weekend's 2-1 win over Sheffield United and had missed training this week.