Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko is to have a hernia operation on Tuesday and will miss the FA Cup final against Manchester United later this month.
Surgery had originally been scheduled for the end of the season but Chelsea's medical department have decided to bring it forward, the club said on their official Web site (www.chelseafc.com) on Monday.
The FA Cup final returns to Wembley on May 19 for the first time since Chelsea beat Aston Villa in 2000.
