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Zimmer says his eye is 'good to go' after latest follow-up

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has received further clearance to travel with the team this weekend, following surgery to repair a detached retina.

Zimmer said Wednesday that he's ''good to go'' after his latest follow-up exam. The patch on his right eye during practice Tuesday had been removed, and he remains on track to resume his regular duties for the game Sunday at Jacksonville. Zimmer was forced to stay home and rest last week while the Vikings played Dallas.

At his first news conference in eight days, Zimmer dismissed most of the questions about his condition and tried to limit his remarks to the upcoming game. When asked about alternative arrangements such as coaching from the press box to reduce the strain on his eye, Zimmer declined to be specific.

''The doctors talked to me about something,'' he said. ''Let's talk about Jacksonville.''

The coach said Tuesday in a radio interview that he'll be able to fly on the team charter because doctors injected his eye with a substance that was oil-based rather than an oxygen-based the last time they drained fluid. Zimmer was then asked Wednesday whether he was surprised by the amount of amateur ophthalmologists in the Twin Cities area who've chimed in with opinion and speculation over the last week.

''I'm dealing with some pretty good professionals myself,'' Zimmer said. ''Yeah, I get a lot of advice, but I listen to the doctors.''

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