BORO expect to find out early this week whether Egyptian striker Mido will undergo a hernia operation.

The 25-year-old is currently suspended after his dismissal at Arsenal but is struggling for fitness, having already missed a large part of the season with a pubic bone problem.

"At the moment he is having some tests on a possible hernia and so we are just assessing the situation," said manager Gareth Southgate.

Mido's arrival on Teesside in a £6m move form Spurs initially gave Boro a huge lift as he grabbed two goals in his first two games.

But injury problems have left him a peripheral figure since and Southgate is keen to get a fully fit Mido back in action - even if it means waiting until next season.

"He would be the first to say he has had a horrendous time," he said.

"Hopefully it won't be the case that he needs an operation but if it is it gives him an opportunity to sort all of his clinical problems out and get himself completely fit.

"We haven't seen the best of him and we've perhaps got to say, 'Right, let's work towards getting him completely right and hopefully we will then have a new player for next season'.