However, asked if he would choose surgery should Rangers fail to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Villarreal, Ferguson - who will captain Scotland against Switzerland at Hampden tonight – said: “Probably, yes. That would mean plenty of time to recover before next season. You never know, you could maybe break down during your recovery.

“But we’ve not even got to that stage yet. When I went to get my injections there was no talk of when I was getting the operation. But I’ll definitely be getting it, one way or another, before the start of next season.”

With Celtic 21 points ahead in the Bank of Scotland Premier League and following Rangers’ elimination from the Scottish Cup by Hibernian, Alex McLeish’s side have only the pursuit of second-placed Hearts and the Villarreal tie to keep their season alive.

“Obviously, I’ll need to speak to Rangers,” Ferguson said. “I need to get a reconstruction of the ligaments in my right ankle.

“It’s been there since pre-season in Canada. It’s nothing to do with a bad tackle or anything - it’s wear and tear. Players sometimes need a tidy-up. It’s not stopping me playing and I can train most days.”