Injured Roland can leave

SEATTLE – Texas A&M senior guard Derrick Roland is heading home for Christmas – with a rod and three screws in his leg.

Dr. Chris Wahl, the surgeon who repaired the multiple fractures in Roland’s right leg Wednesday, said he cleared Roland to leave Harborview Medical Center on Thursday and return home because the wound and fracture are healing well.

But because the leader of the No. 19 Aggies still feels weak and has yet to tolerate regular food since surgery to repair a broken tibia and fibula, he’s waiting until today to return to Texas on a medical transport plane.

The Aggies’ defensive stopper and second-leading scorer snapped his leg on a fall early in the second half Tuesday night in a loss at No. 22 Washington.

“It was optimistic for him to go home (Thursday),” Wahl told the Associated Press hours after he examined Roland. “But he looked great this morning.”