Workington Reds have been dealt a blow after captain Gari Rowntree revealed that he will miss the start of the new season.
The 29-year-old will go under the knife on Saturday, July 9 to fix a knee injury which saw him miss the back end of last season including his side's play-off final defeat at Salford.
Rowntree discovered damage to his meniscus following an MRI scan and is likely to be out of action for several months.
He said: "It's not a massive operation, but hopefully I will be back after a few months.
"It will be frustrating watching the games, but I'm looking forward to my operation and then I will have something to aim for.
"I need to make sure that it's strong before I start diving in and playing again."
Last month Rowntree revealed that he was weighing up having an operation and has been seeing a specialist.
The left-back had several spells on the sidelines with injuries and his knee problem was further aggravated during his side's home win over Blyth in February.
He added: "It would be no good not getting my meniscus cleaned up or using injections with the nick being there.
"I lost a bit of muscle, but it should be fine."
Rowntree added that he has spoken to the club's management and will remain with the club for the coming season.
- Striker Scott Allison has signed a new 12-month deal with the club.
He finished the season with 32 goals from 47 starts, the best return from a Reds forward for sixty years, including four hat-tricks.
Allison is the fourth player to commit to Reds for next season after Aaran Taylor, Conor Tinnion and Jake Simpson all penned new deals.
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