The Diavoli central defender has suffered another set-back and there are fears that not even surgery will allow him to return to action.

There were reports at the start of the week that Alessandro Nesta was on the road to recovery and it was suggested that he could sensationally pull on a starting shirt in tonight’s Derby della Madonnina against Inter.

However, he suffered a muscular problem on Friday and it is now feared he will have to go under the knife to try and address his disc protrusion issue once and for all.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports this morning that the 32-year-old will undergo further tests next week, but it is highly unlikely he will be able to feature this term and some sources suggest that his footballing career is at risk.

Nesta has been dealing with this problem for years, but he has always turned down the possibility of an operation, because it is widely known that this kind of procedure could put an end to a footballer’s career.

The ex-Lazio stopper has yet to make a single official appearance so far this season and only featured in a friendly in Albania last October.