DARLINGTON striker Andrew Nelson has revealed he expects to miss the remainder of the current campaign and the whole of next season as he continues to battle against a knee injury that is threatening to end his career.

Nelson, who rejoined Quakers last summer after briefly spending time on loan with the club in the 2018-19 season when he was a youngster with Sunderland, suffered a knee problem while playing for Torquay United last term.

He was freed in the summer, and joined Darlington for pre-season training while receiving treatment from the club’s medical team, led by Danny O’Connor.

He signed a contract at Blackwell Meadows in the summer, and has made a handful of first-team appearances this season, but his injury issues have never really gone away.

The situation came to a head last month, and after an MRI scan revealed ongoing cartilage damage, Nelson has taken the difficult decision to undergo surgery that means he is set to be sidelined for around 15 months.

“After having an MRI done in recent weeks, the damage to my cartilage I suffered last season has shown some improvement, but ultimately not enough to be able to train and play without being in pain,” said Nelson.

“I’ve tried every treatment available to avoid surgery in hoping that they would work for me, but I’m now currently waiting for a date to be arranged for an osteochondral autologous transfer surgery.

“By having this procedure done, it means that I probably won’t be back playing football until the 2023-24 season. This was obviously something I was desperate to avoid after missing last season, but realistically, it’s my best chance of getting back playing again.”

Stockton-born Nelson was raised in Bishop Auckland and joined Sunderland’s academy at the age of seven. His only appearances for the Black Cats came as part of an Under-23s team in the EFL Trophy, but he spent time on loan at a number of clubs including Darlington and Hartlepool before leaving Wearside to join Dundee in January 2019.

He returned to England to join Torquay in the summer of 2020, injuring his knee shortly after in a pre-season friendly, and is understandably disappointed at the way things have turned out since re-signing for Darlington.

“I’m gutted that I couldn’t do more this season for the club as they’ve done everything right by me since I came in pre-season,” he added. “I can’t thank them enough for that as it has been a difficult period for us all.”