AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta has been told that he may have to undergo surgery on his injured knee, meaning he could be out of action for the rest of the season.

GettyImagesAlessandro Nesta has struggled with injury this season.

An examination on Friday revealed the extent of the damage, after Nesta had been sent to specialist professor professor Pier Paolo Mariani, and he may now have to go under the knife to cure a broken tendon in his right knee.

"In the next few days we'll consider whether I should have an operation or not," he told reporters after leaving a clinic in Rome. "I don't know if I'll miss the rest of the season. Even if I have to have surgery I could return for the end of the championship."

The defender is set to have further consultations with Mariani and the Milan medical staff before he decides on what course of action to take.

Second-placed Milan, four points behind leaders Inter with 11 games left, also have injuries to defenders Luca Antonini, Daniele Bonera and Oguchi Onyewu and missed Nesta badly in the 4-0 drubbing against Manchester United in the Champions League.