PLYMOUTH Albion are hoping a minor operation will clear up Matt Hopper's long-standing ankle problem.

Centre Hopper, who was Albion's joint top try scorer last season, will undergo keyhole surgery today.

Hopper has been unable to feature in a league game since damaging his ankle against the Cornish Pirates on April 12.

His only action since then was when he came on for 30 minutes in Albion's 75-0 pre-season win over South West One West side Sidmouth.

But the player and the club have been told he could be back playing within a month if today's procedure is successful.

"Matt is having a small operation to remove some unwanted fluid on his tendon," said Albion's chairman of rugby Graham Dawe.

"We were hoping the problem would clear up without surgery, but we are now having to revert to it.

"Hopefully, this will clear it up once and for all and that he should be back in three or four weeks – but there's no guarantees."

Dawe is keen to have Hopper, who was voted Herald readers' player of last season, fit and available again.

"We had hoped he would be fit for the beginning of the season," said Dawe.

"You always want to have all your players fit and available at the same time."

Albion have yet to achieve that this season with both Hopper and George Porter missing the start of the campaign with injuries.

The club also had fly-half Alex Davies missing from last Saturday's defeat to Bedford Blues with an ankle injury and prop Martin Rice having to come off in that match with a shoulder injury.

Although Hopper and Porter will not be available to face Devon rivals Exeter Chiefs this weekend at Sandy Park, Dawe remains optimistic that Rice and Davies might make it.

"Martin has a bruised shoulder and won't train until later on in the week," said Dawe. "We just have to wait and see how he is then.

"We are hoping Alex might be all right for this weekend, but this game might just come too early for him.

"He has damaged ankle ligaments and with the type of injury he has you are normally looking at three weeks out, but we might be pleasantly surprised."

Prop Porter, who joined Albion in the summer, has spent the last couple of months with his hand in a cast after fracturing his scaphoid in training.

He underwent an operation in August but he should have his cast removed this week.

Meanwhile, Albion's young scrum-half Tom Kessell has been named in Cornwall starting line-up for their match against the Royal Navy tomorrow night at Hayle (7.30pm).