Forssell faces month on sidelines after operation

The Birmingham City striker Mikael Forssell will be out of action for a month after discovering that, like Michael Owen, he needs surgery to cure a hernia problem.

The Finland international has been dogged by injury problems, most notably a knee complaint for the past three seasons. The former Chelsea player finally looked as if his troubles were behind him after impressing in pre-season and scoring on the opening day of the season at Stamford Bridge.

But Birmingham manager Steve Bruce admitted Forssell needs an operation sooner rather than later to try to minimise the time he will be sidelined.

Bruce said: "Mikael will go into hospital on Monday. It looks like he has got a hernia problem and we will do something about it as quickly as we possibly can.

"He will miss the Manchester United and Blackburn games but, with the two-week international break coming up soon, hopefully he will be back available after that. These things usually take three to four weeks.

"You feel sorry for the lad because he has had so many knock-backs in recent years but kept persevering. This season, he came back looking sharp and we wondered if he was finally over everything and this will be another blow to him," said Bruce.

Elsewhere, the Football Association will begin taking their message to the country on Monday when they launch a planned series of roadshows at West Bromwich Albion.

The England coach, Steve McClaren, the FA's chief executive, Brian Barwick, and the director of football development, Sir Trevor Brooking, will all be at the Hawthorns for an event which will culminate in an open floor Question Time session, presented by the BBC's Mark Clemmit.

The initiative is an attempt to show the wide-ranging work of a body which goes far beyond handing out fines and suspensions, or handling the England team and the FA Cup. Providing Monday night's event is a success, similar evenings will be held across the country as the FA promote the vast amount of work they do at grassroots level.