Reading midfielder John Oster will have to go under the knife to cure his ankle problem.

The 28-year-old Wales international failed to get over the injury in his comeback attempts after having suffered the setback in the Premiership clash against Everton in August.

Royals Physio Jon Fearn told the club's official website, "We saw a specialist on Tuesday to discuss the problem.

"He agreed that we've done as much as we can in terms of conservative treatment.

"Now we'll look at surgery next Monday.

"How long he'll be out depends on what we find when we go in. He has an inflamed ankle, which is aggravated by some bone in the back of the ankle.

"We'll have that bone removed, and then allow the joint to heal through rest and recuperation."