Ronnie Irani has been told he will require hip replacement surgery.
But the successful Essex captain, who is on the brink of signing a new three-year contract, has been assured such drastic action will not signal a premature end to his county cricket career.
The good news is, the 35-year-old former England all-rounder should remain fit for a number of years yet before replacement surgery is necessary.
Irani jetted out to America on Sunday for a specialised operation on his left hip and knee and he exclusively told the Evening Gazette: "My surgeon has guaranteed I will need a hip replacement within ten years."
For more on this story, see tonight's Evening Gazette.
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