?Real Madrid's Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain is to undergo surgery to fix a slipped disc that has already kept him out of action since late November, the club said on Tuesday.

Higuain, who normally started in attack for Real alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, has been unable to play since the end of November.

Real revealed at the beginning of December that the 23-year-old had sustained a slipped disc that could require an operation.

Real coach Jose Mourinho said on Sunday that he will have to re-construct his team in the absence of Higuain, who was signed from River Plate in 2007.

The club is currently second in Spain's premier division, two points behind arch-rivals Barcelona.