BLACKBURN Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen is facing another spell on the sidelines - but the club have moved to allay fears that he needs an operation.

The New Zealand international has been struggling for both form and fitness recently after an old hamstring injury flared up, causing him some discomfort.

At first, it was feared the Kiwi might require another operation, similar to the one he underwent in Finland at the beginning of last season.

However, after studying numerous scans of the problem area, Rovers' medical staff are now hoping a spell of rest will be enough to alleviate the problem, meaning Nelsen could be out of action for several weeks.

"I've been told the scans have shown up what's called a bone projection, which is aggravating the tendon, but nothing that points to an operation," said chairman John Williams.

"The preferred treatment is rest and I think we're probably talking about a couple of weeks to let things settle down again."

Nelsen has been plagued by various hamstring problems over the last 18 months.

Last season, the 30-year-old flew to Finland, where he was operated on by Professor Sakari Orava - one of the world's leading surgeons for sports muscle injuries.

Nelsen was one of the first footballers to undergo the special procedure, which involves re-stitching a detached hamstring to the bone, and he made a successful comeback during the second half of last season.

However, the Kiwi then suffered further hamstring trouble during Rovers' UEFA Cup tie against Larissa in September, which led to him missing the next seven matches.

Since returning to the team at the end of October, Nelsen has been suffering from intermittent pain, which has started to affect his performances.

Now both the club and the player are keen to address the problem, even if that means missing crucial games over the next few weeks.