Cricket:England batsman Kevin Pietersen has suffered a setback in his recovery from Achilles surgery after developing an infection in the scar tissue.
Pietersen, 29, was forced to undergo an operation after just two Tests of the current npower Ashes series and the England and Wales Cricket Board estimated him to be out for around six weeks.
But he was taken to hospital for treatment after the complication arose in the scar.
The injury first flared during England's tour of the Caribbean last winter and after hobbling through matches at Cardiff and Lord's thanks to painkilling injections, Pietersen was forced to see a specialist.
An immediate decision to operate was taken on July 22 in a bid to get the former England captain back in action for some of the one-day series against Australia in September.
"The operation involved a small incision and trimming of the blood vessels and nerves around the inflamed tendon and appears, at this early stage, to have been routine," Nick Peirce, the England and Wales Cricket Board's chief medical officer said at the time. "Kevin will look to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to ensure there is no risk of recurrence. This is expected to be approximately six weeks but will be taken at an appropriate pace following constant review."
Some had questioned that optimistic prediction of absence, however, and Tuesday's news may have jeopardised the length of recuperation time.