Olsson to have op on Achilles injury

Albion defender Jonas Olsson is set for surgery on a long-standing Achilles tendon injury and faces around a month out.

The Sweden international has seen a specialist in Amsterdam and is now preparing for an operation to correct a problem on the left Achilles which has dogged him for several seasons.

The 31-year-old expects to be sidelined until early 2015 – but he admits he might be forced to consider his Hawthorns future if he fails to win back his first-team place on his return.

Olsson said: "I have been struggling with this on and off for some time and I've come to the point where it feels like surgery would help it. The recovery time

is short so I hope to be back 100 per cent some time after the New Year."

Dutch surgeon Professor Niek van Dijk will perform the minor procedure on Friday in Oporto.

Olsson lost his starting place after a poor start to the season and has not even made the bench for recent games.

QPR boss Harry Redknapp, a long-term admirer, has been keeping tabs on Olsson and considering a possible January bid, but Albion would be reluctant to sell to potential survival rival.

"I have been a regular since I left BOIS (in Sweden) in 2005, so it is an unusual situation. And of course it is frustrating, it hurts," said Olsson in an interview in his native Sweden.

"Competition is tough. Joleon Lescott is a world-class defender and plays because he's doing well. I accept the manager's decision. If the situation is the same in a month I might think differently."

Meanwhile, full-back Sebastien Pocognoli has returned to training ahead of Saturday's Hawthorns meeting with Arsenal. The Belgium international missed the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea with a hamstring injury.