It means the midfielder, who stepped off the substitutes' bench in the victory against Wigan on Sunday, will sit out the Barclays Premier League match at Manchester City tomorrow.

Allardyce said: "David has not been able to overcome the pain he has suffered in recent weeks, so we have had to make the big decision to let him have an operation."

Blackburn will again be without strikers Roque Santa Cruz (knee) and Jason Roberts (fractured metatarsal) in their bid to avoid relegation.

Team (from): Robinson, Bunn, Ooijer, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Samba, Simpson, Warnock, Givet, Olsson, Villanueva, Tugay, Andrews, Diouf, Treacy, Mokoena, McCarthy, Pedersen, Grella, Doran.