Last Updated: Fri, 02 May 2008 14:32
Badminton star Nathan Robertson will put his Olympic preparations on hold for six weeks after he undergoes ankle surgery this weekend.
The 30-year-old, who won Olympic mixed doubles silver with Gail Emms four years ago, had hoped he would not need an operation until after the Beijing games.
But England head coach Ian Wright said: "There are foreign bodies inside the ankle joint and it is prudent to clear it up and give Nathan piece of mind.
"It's unfortunate the recovery cuts into our 12-week Olympic preparations."
Robertson and Emms won the world mixed doubles title in 2006, but have struggled to match that form since and lost at the semi-final stage of both the All England Championships in March and the Europeans last month.
Wright added: "Nathan has been under-prepared for every tournament for the last six months."
The Olympic badminton tournament starts on August 9 with Robertson and Emms assured of their place as they are currently world ranked six.