Bolton Wanderers are hoping to find an answer soon to if Kieran Lee will need to have a season-ending operation or not to correct a problem with his heel that has become worse in recent months.
The 33-year-old midfielder has been playing through the pain barrier with a heel spur that requires a bone shaving.
Initially, Wanderers hoped he would be able to get to the end of the season before having surgery in the summer to correct the issue.
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But the problem has become progressively more difficult to deal with in recent months and Wanderers are sending the midfielder to a specialist to ascertain the extent of the issue.
If possible, Wanderers will use some pain controlling methods in addition to managing his game time to ensure he could still play some part this season.
Ian Evatt said that Wanderers will follow the guidance of the specialist on the matter, and if Lee's season does come to a premature conclusion, then the Bolton boss is confident there are options in the squad to fill the ex-Sheffield Wednesday man's place.
Evatt said: " He's had this for months now – for three months. It’s got progressively harder to deal with but what I will say is, the softer the ground, the more pressure goes through that heel and the harder it is for the Achilles to cope.
"We’re hopeful that there is some pain controlling methods that we can use but until we speak to the specialist, we don’t know. We’re going to literally leave it in the specialist’s hands – he knows best.
"And it’s a question of if he can get through to the summer. If he can, great. If he can’t, we’ll have to just move on without him. Fortunately for us, we have some players who can take his place".
