Finnish goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen may not require surgery to rectify his back injury after all. But he still looks likely to leave Bolton Wanderers this summer.

Jaaskelainen appears to have played his last game for Bolton. The Finn is the longest-serving player on the books at the Reebok, but is out of contract in June and has not agreed a new deal with the Trotters.

And his chances of persuading another club to take him on have been improved with the news that may be able to avoid a back operation.

Jaaskelainen has spent the last six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a back injury during the pre-match warm-up when Wanderers played their Uefa Cup Round of 16 tie against Sporting on March 6th. But that enforced rest appears to have cured the problem.

He has now been given the go ahead to resume training, although he is not expected to feature in Gary Megson's first-team for the final three games of the season.

Wanderers boss Megson told the Bolton News, "Jussi's seen a specialist, who has asked us to step up his training over the next week or 10 days to see if he can keep up with what we're doing.

"Therefore, he might not need an operation. Fingers crossed that, in stepping it up, he can get through without any more problems."

Megson added: "This club has good people and we would do the right thing.

"Hopefully, it doesn't come to him having to have the operation but, even if he does, it won't be a massive time out."