MUHAMMAD Ali's trainer Mike Jelley is concerned that the upcoming showdown with Jack Bateson might be too soon following the teenager's eye injury sustained in last month's World Championships.

The Keighley 19-year-old is due to face his flyweight British podium squad team-mate from Otley in the Great Britain Boxing Championships at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on November 26.

Jelley, trainer at Bury Amateur Boxing Club, is backing his protege to beat Bateson and boost his bid for an Olympic spot in Rio next year.

But he believes Ali should have been given more time for his eye to heal in preparation for the bout, due to be televised on Sky as part of a bumper show featuring the country's top amateurs.

Jelley said: "I don't think his eye has healed fully yet.

"The fight (when the injury was sustained) was four weeks ago and he's still got a plaster on.

"I don't think this will be Ali's feeling. He will want to go out and box any time. He'd box with a broken hand or whatever but I just think his eye should be left to heal properly."

Ali's injury at the World Championships in Qatar forced an early end to his quarter-final bout with number two seed Elvin Mamishzada. He suffered a cut to the eye within a minute of the first round remaining before the referee brought a halt to proceedings when the problem caused further issues in the second round.

“It was a bad cut, it needed stitches. and it will take a bit of healing," said Jelley at the time.

The Keighley national champion suffered a similar exit to Vincenzo Picardi earlier in the year at the European Games, when an eye injury again forced a stoppage.

Despite his concern, Jelley believes Ali - who followed up his first national senior title in April with a European silver medal in Bulgaria in August - will put one over his West Yorkshire counterpart.

"Ali will be confident - he has sparred with him lots of times," said the 71-year-old veteran.

"I still think he will beat Jack Bateson, get the job done and get it over with.

"But he has all his career ahead of him. He is only 19 and in years to come I believe he will be world champion. I don't believe in rushing anything."

The Thursday night show in Sheffield is already a sell-out and features 12 competitors selected by the British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) pitted against the winners of this year's GB Elite Three Nations competition.

BABA performance director Rob McCracken said: "This tournament is a great opportunity to look at some of the up-and-coming talent in Great Britain and a chance for some boxers to stake their claim for a place on the World Class Performance Programme and showcase their talent."