TOM Anderson is to have surgery after breaking a cheekbone while playing for Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.

The Burnley defender sustained in the injury in a nasty collision with Rovers' goalkeeper Marko Marosi during their 2-1 derby defeat at Rotherham United on Saturday.

Anderson, 24, is currently on loan with the League One club but he is now set to be out of action for four to six weeks.

He will return to Burnley for the operation and rehab, with Doncaster boss Darren Ferguson planning on keeping in touch with Anderson to see when he will be available again after admitting the injury could have been a lot worse for the Burnley-born youngster.

“It was a bad one,” Ferguson told the Doncaster Free Press. “Marko’s caught him badly. The striker’s just nudged him and obviously put him onto Marko.

"We thought he had fractured his eye socket as well but he hasn’t.

“It’s a bad injury but it could’ve been worse in many ways. He’s a tough boy, he’ll get on with it.

“Burnley will get him in quicker for the operation and we’ll keep in contact with him about how his rehab is going.”