BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Jason Lowe today undergoes an operation in a fresh attempt to solve the persistent injury that has restricted him to just 18 appearances since the start of last season.

Lowe will go under the knife for the second time in eight months after admitting the pain he has continued to feel has made it him impossible for him to play.

The 24-year-old first suffered a stress fracture in his foot in Rovers’ final friendly ahead of the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

He tried to play through the pain barrier but after two aborted comebacks, the first in December and the second one month later, he succumb to surgery in February.

The operation was declared a success and, after putting in extra work at Brockhall over the summer, he returned to full training in pre-season.

Lowe started four of Rovers’ first five league games of the season but he has not featured since the 0-0 draw at home to Bolton Wanderers before the international break after suffering a recurrence.

It was decided last week that Lowe requires another operation and, while Gary Bowyer is not putting an exact timescale on his return, he does not expect to see him back until Christmas.

Rovers boss Bowyer said: “He’s been to see a specialist and he’s going to have another operation on Tuesday.

“It's a massive blow to us and to the lad in particular. He gives it everything he’s got, he’s first in and he’s last out (of the training ground).

“But we hope that once he’s had the operation he can come back even stronger.

“He’s been unable to play without pain. He’s tried and he’s tried but it just hasn’t happened for him to get rid of it.

“He’s been to see the specialist again and that’s the procedure they want him to take.

“It’s particularly frustrating for him because he’s just desperate to play for us.

“We wish him well and the prediction for his recovery should hopefully have him back around Christmas time, if not before.”