India skipper Baichung Bhutia, who damaged a cartilage during the LG Cup football tournament in Vietnam, underwent an orthoscopy on his left knee on Tuesday. The injury rules him out of the World Cup qualifier against Japan in Kolkata on September 8.
Bhutia underwent micro-surgery at a Kolkata nursing home under orthopaedic surgeon Dr Debashis Chatterjee and will be discharged on Wednesday.
"The cartilage operation on his left knee was successful. There is no other complication now," Chatterjee said.
The East Bengal striker, who is the main plank in India's strike force, is advised rest for "three to six weeks", the doctor added.
It implies that the star player will not only miss the Japan tie on September 8, but is also unlikely to play in East Bengal's AFC Cup quarter-final match against Syrian outfit Al Jaish on September 15.
East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick visited the ailing forward, who suffered the injury during a training session in Vietnam before the first match against Myanmar and aggravated his condition by playing the next match against the hosts.