VERSATILE midfielder Craig Hignett has been ruled out for the rest of the season after he went into hospital today for an operation on his troublesome Achilles.

Hignett had agreed to postpone the op until Rovers secured their Premiership safety.

But, following Saturday's victory over his old club Middlesbrough, he has now been given the green light to go under the knife.

And the fact he is having the surgery done now, rather than waiting until the end of the season, should mean he will be fit for the start of pre-season training in July.

"If I don't get it done soon then I'll start missing pre-season again which will leave me playing catch up.

"So it's the sooner the better, really," said the 32-year-old.