BLACKBURN midfielder David Thompson could be missing for the rest of the season after undergoing corrective surgery on his troublesome knee injury.

Thompson went under the knife in the United States last night following a consultation with top specialist Richard Steadman.

And although the long-term prognosis is positive, Rovers are facing up to the fact that the 26-year-old could be ruled out for some considerable time.

"He's going to be out for the rest of the season which is obviously a big blow to us," said Rovers boss Graeme Souness today.

"At the end of the day, though, it's important that we get it right because he hasn't been right this season.

"He hasn't been happy for a while now. His knee was swelling up after every game and it was important that we got to the bottom of it.

"Hopefully, this operation will have solved his problems because we've got to look after his long-term health."

Thompson's knee problems first flared up back in February and the decision was taken to have surgery.

However, when surgeons then carried out the operation they discovered that his injury was far more serious than first feared.

Thompson ended up being out for a total of five months before he finally made his long-awaited comeback in pre-season when his problems finally appeared to be behind him.

However, the former Liverpool star has continued to suffer from swelling and discomfort in the aftermath of games this season and the club finally decided to fly him out to America this week in order to seek the expert advice of Steadman, the man credited with saving the careers of Alan Shearer and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

The procedure Steadman carried out yesterday involved some work to the surfaces of both bones in Thompson's knee.

Although it was a relatively minor procedure in surgical terms, the rehabilitation programme is a pain-staking process, which is why the player may have made his last contribution of the season.

"It's a short-term loss for a long-term gain," said Rovers' chief executive John Williams.

Thompson will return to England in the next three or four days.