Leeds United will have to negotiate their way through the Champions League first-round group stages without Harry Kewell after their player of last year was yesterday ruled out of the game for three months.

Kewell will have an operation today to clean up the sheath around a damaged achilles tendon which forced his withdrawal from Australia's Olympic squad and seen him fail to kick a ball in anger since last season.

After visiting a specialist in Monaco over the summer Kewell was advised to sit out preseason training in the hope that the problem would right itself. But the Leeds medical staff now believe there is no other option than surgery.

"It is a big blow but we have to accept it. He will come back totally cured and it will be great to see him fit and strong in December," said Leeds manager David O'Leary.