Jason Dodd today had surgery on his injured ankle, finally ending his brave battle to be fit for the FA Cup final.

The Saints skipper, who has been at the club for 14 years, will the miss the biggest game of his career for what looked like an innocuous injury, sustained when he kicked the bottom of Steed Malbranque's boot against Fulham in March.

Dodd is undergoing an arthroscopy to try and discover the root of the problem after an injection last week failed to solve the problem.

That left him with only one option - have the surgery and miss the chance to lift the FA Cup at Cardiff.

He said: "It is desperately disappointing but there is nothing I can do about it.

"It just got to the stage where nothing was happening and surgery was the only option.

"I have had three years where I have not had too many injury problems but it is Sod's Law that this happens now just when we have got to the final after so long.

"It is a real sickener - but that's football. I just have to get on with it and get myself ready for next season."I will just have to go and cheer the lads on - just like the rest of the fans. I am just desperately hoping they go on and win it."

Saints boss Gordon Strachan added: "It looks like it only comes along once in a lifetime for Doddsy.

"It came from a kick against Fulham and that was weeks ago and I just thought 'it's not a problem, it's just a kick' but it has given him a problem.

"We've looked after him the best we can to allow him to try and get to the final and keep him involved and it's a huge blow for him and for us because he would have had a chance of playing in the cup final."

Semi-final hero Paul Jones also looks set to face a real battle to get in the side with the news that Antti Niemi has recovered from his knee injury and is likely to line-up in goal against Bolton at St Mary's again tomorrow.

If Niemi comes through the game unscathed Jones is likely to have to make do with a place on the bench unless the Finnish number one picks up another knock.